Snapshots
by byanothername7
Summary: A look at various moments throughout Beck and Jade's relationship, starting with the day they first met and continuing for the next twenty years.
1. Nice To Meet You

"You're sure you don't want me to walk you in?" Priya Oliver asks her son, placing a hand on his shoulder

"Ma..." Beck groans, shrugging her hand away "I'm in _eighth_ grade! I can't have my _mom_ walking me into school on the first day."

"And why not?"

"Do you see any other parents here?" Beck gestures to the sidewalk in front of the school "Everyone else is just dropping off and leaving."

"Well everyone else doesn't have a son starting his first day at a brand new school." Priya reminds him "And in a brand new country too, I might add."

"Ma, I'll be fine." Beck assures her "I have my class schedule and if I need help, I can ask."

"Alright then." Priya sighs, reaching out to smooth a wrinkle that has appeared on his shirt "Well, have a good day. I love you."

"Thanks, I love you too." He smiles a bit, stepping forward and hugging her quickly before breaking away again "I'll see you later."

"You know which bus to get on, right?" His mother calls after him as he begins walking away

"Twelve!" He calls back to her "Busses don't work any different here than they do in Canada, Ma!"

Beck quickly integrates with the crowd of students headed into the middle school. Priya watches him until he's out of sight, and then turns to walk back to the car.

Inside the building, Beck tries his best to remember where his locker is. He had received a personal tour of the building from the assistant principal the week before, but he hadn't been back since. He remembers that all of the eighth graders have lockers in the same general area, so he tries to follow the kids who look like they're the same age as him. Eventually he stumbles upon locker 637 and grabs his schedule out of his backpack to retrieve the combination.

"Seventeen..." He sighs, spinning the dial on the lock "One...twenty-four. Please open, please open."

He pulls up on the latch and to his relief, the locker pops open. He shoves his backpack inside and grabs everything that he's going to need for his first few classes, since he won't have time to come back during every single passing period.

His first class is math, and thankfully there are signs to help him find his way to the correct classroom. There's already plenty of students at their desks, shouting across the room to one another and discussing their weekend. Beck doesn't know anyone, and he's not sure where he should sit or if he's even in the right place. So he stands there awkwardly at the front of the room, one hand gripping his schedule and the other keeping his folders and notebook tucked under his arm.

The bell rings to signal the start of class, but that doesn't seem to have any effect on his classmates. They continue talking and laughing, oblivious to his presence.

"Alright, alright, settle down." A woman says, entering the classroom and closing the door behind her "The bell rang, that means your voices are off. Oh! Hello."

"Hi." Beck says shyly "Are you Mrs. Evans?"

"I am." She smiles kindly "I take it you must be Beckett?"

"That's me." Beck nods "But, uh...I go by Beck."

"Beck. Noted." She nods "Everyone! Listen up, please. This is Beck Oliver, he's going to be joining our class."

"Hi." Beck waves, trying his best not to appear as awkward as he feels

"Why don't you tell classmates a little bit about yourself, Beck?"

"Um, okay. Sure." Beck shrugs "Uh, I'm Beck. My family just moved here from Vancouver because of my dad's job. I'm thirteen. I'm really into music and video games, and when I grow up I want to be an actor."

"Thank you, Beck." Mrs. Evans smiles "Welcome to our class, just find an empty desk and make yourself comfortable. Everyone else, get your homework out so I can come around and check."

Beck nods and adjusts his books in his arms, walking over to an empty desk on the left side of the classroom. He sides in and places his things down as the boy next to him looks over.

"An actor, huh?" He raises an eyebrow at him

The boy has dark skin and eyes, and a ponytail of dreadlocks pulled back behind his head.

"Yeah." Beck says to him "Not like broadway or anything like that, I want to be in movies."

"Dope." The boy grins "Y'know, there's a performing arts high school right here in Los Angeles. The audition process is tough, but you should at least consider it."

"Are you into acting too?" Beck asks him

"Nah, not really." The boy laughs "I'm more into music."

"Oh cool, can you play any instruments?"

"Guitar, bass, piano, drums, trumpet, french horn..." The boy chuckles "Among other things."

"Wow."

"You could say I'm pretty serious about it."

"I'd say so." Beck laughs "Hey, what's your name?"

"Andre." The boy tells him "Andre Harris."

"Nice to meet you." Beck smiles "I'm Beck, but I guess you already knew that."

"Do you know anyone here, Beck?" Andre asks him "At this school, I mean."

"Just you, so far."

"Well, don't worry dude." Andre assures him "Stick with me and everything will be just fine."

The two boys have their next two classes together before they split up for electives, Andre goes to band and Beck goes to Spanish. They meet up again in PE and then attend one more class together before heading to lunch.

Andre shows Beck how to move through the lunch line, advising him on which of the cafeteria foods are safe to eat and which ones he should avoid. He shows him how to use his student ID card to pay for his meal and then Beck follows him out into the cafeteria.

"Andre! Over here!"

"This way." Andre nods in the direction of the voice

Beck follows him as they both carry their lunch trays through the crowd of people and across the room to a table that's mostly empty with the exception of two girls their age.

"Hi Andre!" The shorter girl grins "Who's your friend?"

"This is Beck Oliver." Andre introduces him "He's new here. And apparently he's a fellow connoisseur of the arts, so I've decided that he's cool enough to be friends with us."

"Hi Beck!" The girl says excitedly "I'm Cat! Like Caterina, not like the animal."

"Hey, nice to meet ya." Beck laughs

Cat is so happy and so bubbly that he can't help but smile as he talks to her.

"Nice to meet you too!"

"What's your name?" Beck asks the second girl as he sets his tray down next to her

She's been looking at her phone the entire time, and hasn't lifted her face enough for her to see what she looks like.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She sighs, placing her phone on the table and looking up at him

She has the prettiest blue eyes he's ever seen. The minute they land on him he feels like they're piercing through him and looking right into his soul. It takes him a few seconds to even notice the rest of her features and well, she's gorgeous.

"I uh, well..." He hesitates, suddenly nervous "I would like to know, that's why I asked."

"That's Jade." Andre sighs "And she's done making you uncomfortable now, right Jade?"

"Yeah sure, whatever." Jade smirks "Nice to meet you, Beck."

"Nice to meet you too, Jade."

* * *

Weeks pass and Beck slowly becomes more and more comfortable in his new school and with his new life in America. He finds that it's not really all that different from Canada, the kids there all like the same things that he does, they eat the same food and listen to the same music. He easily finds a home within his new friend group as well. Andre, Cat, and Jade are all very much interested in the arts in the same way he is, and they're all incredibly talented as well. All three of them sing but Cat and Jade appear to be triple threats, being able to sing, dance, and act among other things as well.

It doesn't take long for Beck to catch the attention of others though, especially girls. He's someone new that they haven't gone to school with all their lives, and he's attractive. Why wouldn't they be falling all over him? While Beck appreciates the compliments, he finds all the attention to be a bit annoying. Sure, it's nice to know that there's plenty of girls who would go out with him if he wanted them to, but he does't want them to. Not at all. There's really only one girl he wants any attention from at all, and she seems to be the only one who seems unwilling to give it.

Jade West is so different from any other girl Beck has ever had a crush on before. She's intimidating. Not just with her personality, but with her beauty and her talent as well. She makes him nervous, and for some reason he loves that.

"Jade?" Andre almost laughs when Beck confides his feelings in him "Really?"

"Really." Beck nods "Why are you laughing?"

"Dunno, dude." Andre shrugs "She just doesn't really seem like your type?"

"And what's my type?"

"Not Jade."

"C'mon, Andre."

"Alright, so if you like her...just ask her out." Andre shrugs "What's the big deal?"

"What if she says no?"

"Then she says no."

"Well yeah, but then it's weird." Beck sighs, running a had through his hair "I like you guys, I don't want to make the group dynamic weird."

He knows that if things get too weird, Andre and Cat will side with Jade and slowly start to phase him out of the group. That makes perfect sense, they've known her longer. He wouldn't be offended, but he would be lonely for sure.

"You'll never know unless you try, dude." Andre reminds him "Now c'mon, we'll be late to class."

The following Friday, Beck's friends accompany him home on the bus after school. He's hung out with them outside of school a few times now, but this is the first time they've ever gathered at his house. Priya has snacks waiting for them on the kitchen table, and Beck introduces his new friends as they eat.

"Ma, this is Andre, Cat, and Jade." Beck smiles proudly "Andre, Cat, and Jade, this is my mom."

"Hi!" Cat exclaims excitedly "Nice to meet you!"

"And you as well, Cat." Priya laughs

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Oliver." Jade adds

"Yeah." Andre nods "S'nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet all of you as well." Priya smiles "Beck has told me so much about all of you, I'm glad I can finally put some names to faces."

"We're going to watch movies in the basement." Beck tells her "Is that okay?"

"I suppose." Priya nods "Pick from the movies we have though, okay? Don't buy anything off of on-demand."

"Alright." Beck agrees "Thanks, Mom!"

The teenagers finish their snacks and then follow Beck as he leads them down into the basement, making sure the door is closed tightly behind them before moving any further. Once he's sure they're out of earshot of his mother, he turns to Andre.

"You brought it, right?"

"Duh." Andre chuckles, digging into his backpack and pulling out a DVD copy of The Amityville Horror "It's right here."

"Sweet." Beck grins, snatching the movie out of his friend's hand and setting up the DVD player

He has a plan. Jade loves horror movies, but this one is rated R and probably way scarier than anything she's ever seen before. He'll sit next to her on the couch and when she gets scared, he'll be the one to put an arm around her and comfort her. Not to mention that the fact that he was able to slip a movie they're much too young to see past his mother probably gives him some cool points too.

Once the movie is set up, Beck turns out all of the lights and positions himself on the couch next to Jade.

"Guys, I'm not so sure about this." Cat squeaks "Can we turn a light on?"

"Shut up, Cat." Jade groans "You'll be fine, being scared is part of the fun."

Beck spends more time watching Jade than he does watching the movie. She sits on the edge of the couch, appearing to almost never blink, as she watches the film with delight. She barely even flinches at the jump scares, and Beck doesn't see an appropriate opportunity to make his move. As the credits start to roll, he knows his plan has failed.

"You guys want to watch another one?" Beck asks them, handing the DVD case back to Andre "I don't think I have anything else that is even close to being that scary, but we could-"

"Sorry, Beck." Cat frowns "My mom is on her way to pick me up, she wants me home for dinner."

"Do you think she could drive me home too?" Andre asks "I don't feel like trying to explain to my grandma where I am."

"Sure, you're on the way." Cat nods "Jade? Do you want a ride too?"

"Nah, that's okay. I'm with my dad this weekend and he lives on the opposite side of town." Jade reminds her "My step-mom is going to pick me up when she gets off work."

"When will that be?" Beck asks her

"Trying to get rid of me, Oliver?" Jade smirks

"No!" Beck exclaims "No, of course not. Just trying to figure out if we have time to watch another movie or not."

"We probably have time." She smirks, pulling out her phone to check the time "At least for a short one."

Beck walks Andre and Cat to the door when Cat's mother arrives and waves goodbye as they leave. He passes back through the kitchen on his way to the basement, but Priya stops him before he can go any further.

"Have your friends left?" She asks him

"Andre and Cat did, yeah." He tells her "But Jade is still here. Her step-mom is going to pick her up around 5:30 after she gets off work."

"So it's just the two of you alone in the basement then?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Keep the door open then."

"Yes ma'am." Beck repeats before turning to venture back downstairs

He had allowed Jade to sort through their movie collection to find something she might like to watch while he was upstairs. When he returns, she's sitting on the floor in front of the TV surrounded by DVD cases.

"Find anything you like?" He asks, sitting down next to her

"Eh." She shrugs "Nothing that competes with the The Amityville Horror."

"What's your favorite movie?" He asks her

"The Scissoring." She tells him with zero hesitation, not even looking up from the DVD in her hands

"Really?" Beck almost laughs, but stops himself "Isn't that one of the like, scariest movies ever made?"

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"I just don't know how something that scary could be anybody's favorite anything." He admits

"Well then you must not know me very well." She smirks, tossing a DVD at him "Let's watch that one."

"50 First Dates?" Beck raises an eyebrow at her

"Yeah?" She shrugs "You have a problem with that?"

"No. It's just that you told me your favorite movie is one of the scariest of all time and...then you go and throw a rom-com at me."

"Everybody can use a good laugh sometimes." She smirks "Right?"

"Right." Beck agrees

He sets up the movie in the DVD player and then positions himself on the opposite side of the couch from Jade. He'll leave the lights on this time, since the door is open at the top of the stairs and he's sure his mother would notice if he turned them off. Every few minutes he repositions himself, moving closer to her but not in an obvious way.

"You good over there?" Jade asks him

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine." Beck assures her "Just having a hard time getting comfortable."

Eventually he's close enough to her that his arm could reach around her shoulders if he wanted it to. He waits about ten minutes before yawning and stretching his arms, allowing his right to fall around her shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Beck says nervously, pulling his arm back "What? Nothing!"

"Even I know that's the oldest trick in the book." Jade rolls her eyes "If you wanted to put an arm around me, you should have just done it."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm mad at you for being lame."

"But not about the arm?"

"Not really."

"So...can I put it back?"

"If you want." She shrugs

"Okay." Beck hesitates before stretching his arm back around her shoulders again

"See, was that really so hard?" She sighs

"I guess not."

They sit like that for a moment or two before Jade shifts herself on the couch and leans her head against his shoulder. Beck's heart is beating so fast it feels like it might pop out of his chest. He tightens his arm around her and lets it find its way to her waist.

"You comfortable?" He asks her

"Mhm." She nods, looking up at him "Are you?"

"Yeah." He grins "Sure am."


	2. First Date

"I'd like to take you on a date."

"Excuse me?" Jade laughs, closing her locker

"A date." Beck repeats "A real one. Out somewhere, not in my basement. Just you and me."

"Are you implying we were on a date in your basement on Friday?" She asks him

"No!" He assures her "I mean...unless you think we were?"

"We certainly were not."

"Yeah, okay then." He nods "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"Dunno..." Jade hesitates with a smile "You're not really my type."

"Huh?"

"Cuddling is one thing, Oliver." Jade chuckles "Dating is different."

"I can't tell if you're kidding or not." Beck admits "Didn't you...you liked cuddling with me while we were watching the movie, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I did." She shrugs "But..."

"But?"

"Cuddling and dating are two very different things." She reminds him

"Listen, Jade. I really, _really_ like you." Beck admits "Like...a lot. I'd really like to take you on a date this weekend, if you'd be okay with it."

"Hmmm..." Jade hesitates "Alright, fine. Pick me up at seven on Friday night."

"Really?" Beck grins

"Did I stutter?"

"Seven on Friday night." Beck repeats "It's a date."

"Looking forward to it." She smirks "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get to class."

"Can I walk you?" He asks her

"Won't you be late then?"

"I can make it." He assures her "You're headed to science, right?"

"Right." She smiles, impressed with his memory

Beck is giddy with excitement for the rest of the day. He had hoped that Jade would say yes to him, but part of him had been ready to accept rejection if it came. But it didn't. Aside from lunch he only has one class with Jade and he tries his best to not seem overly excited around her, not wanting to come off weird to her before Friday arrives. Andre notices how hard his friend tries to suppress his emotions, and can only roll his eyes. He's not sure how serious any relationship can really be at their age and isn't sure how long Beck and Jade will make it as a couple, if they even become one at all.

"I'm going on a date on Friday." Beck tells his parents at dinner later that night

"You are?" Priya raises an eyebrow at him "I don't remember approving that."

"We're not busy on Friday night, are we?"

"Well no..." Priya sighs "But I would appreciate it if you told me about any potential plans before you made them."

"Sorry, Ma." Beck sighs "I guess I just assumed it would be okay."

"It's fine, Beck." His father, James, tells him "Who's the lucky lady? Do we know her?"

"You do, actually. Yeah." Beck nods "It's Jade."

"Jade who was here on Friday, Jade?" Priya clarifies

"That's her."

"Oh Beck..."

"What?" He asks her "What's wrong with Jade?"

"Well I suppose there's nothing really _wrong_ with her..." Priya sighs "But...well wouldn't you rather take another girl out? What about your friend Cat? She seems very nice."

"I don't like Cat like that." Beck informs her "She's a good friend, but I don't want her to be my girlfriend."

"And you're saying you want _Jade_ to be your girlfriend?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Beck nods "What do you have against Jade?"

"She just doesn't seem like she'd be the best influence on you is all." Priya tells him "All of that dark makeup and spiky jewelry..."

"I like her makeup, and her jewelry!" Beck exclaims "She's really pretty. And she's not afraid to speak her mind, and I can have real conversations with her-"

"Real conversations?" Priya looks amused "What kind of earth-shattering conversations are middle schoolers having these days?"

"She gets what its like to have her whole world turned upside-down!" Beck says "Her parents split up when she was little. And I know its not the same thing, but no one ever asked me how I felt about leaving all of my friends and my school and my family and the only life I'd ever known so we could move here! It's nice to have someone to talk to about that, even if we are just texting..."

"Alright everyone, lets simmer down a bit here." James says calmly "Beck, I think its great that you want to take this girl out on a date."

"You do?"

"Sure I do." He smiles "You're becoming a young man, and your mother and I have raised you to make smart decisions. So if you really like her, I'll drive the two of you wherever you're going myself."

"Now James-"

"Priya." He stops his wife "We've raised him well. We've raised him to judge people for what's on the inside, not how they appear on the outside. Jade has given us no reason to believe that she'll be a bad influence on Beck, so lets give him a chance to give _her_ a chance. Alright?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Priya sighs

"So, I can take Jade out on Friday night?" Beck clarifies

"Yes..." Priya hesitates "You can."

* * *

"Hi there." A man smiles when he opens the door "You must be Beck."

"Uh, yeah that's me." Beck says sheepishly "Is, um...is Jade home?"

"I believe she's just finishing up getting ready." The man tells him, opening the door a little wider so Beck can step inside "Why don't you come inside while you wait, she should be down soon."

"Uh, yeah. Okay." Beck nods, looking back at his father's car before stepping inside "Sure."

"I'm Mr. Parker, by the way." He extends his hand to shake Beck's "I'm Jade's step-dad."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Parker." Beck nods as they shake hands "You, uh...you have a lovely home."

"Oh, is he here?" A woman asks, descending the staircase "Hi, Beck. I'm Jade's mom."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Parker." Beck smiles again, shaking her hand this time "Is Jade almost ready?"

"Yes, she should be down in just a minute." The woman smiles

Beck hopes that he doesn't appear as nervous to Jade's parents as he feels. His heart feels as if it could leap out of his chest and fall onto the floor at any moment. He's traded his signature t-shirt and jeans for kakis and a nice button down with a few buttons undone at the top. He's wearing his nice white converse that he only wears on special occasion so they don't get dirty and turn yellow. Is he dressed okay? Do her parents think he looks like a slob? He knows he definitely seems nervous.

"Who's here?" A little boy asks, entering the foyer "Who are you?"

"Oh, uh...I'm Beck." He tells him "What's your name?"

"Tyler." The boy tells him "Jade is my sister. I'm six."

"That's cool." Beck chuckles nervously "Are you in kindergarten?"

"NO!" Tyler exclaims "I already went to kindergarten! I'm in first grade now!"

"Oh, alright. Sorry, buddy."

"Tyler, be nice to Jade's friend." Jade's mother, Kaitlyn, tells him "He's a guest here."

"Oh for the love of _god_." Jade groans, coming down the stairs "Would you guys leave him alone?"

"Just being polite and making conversation." Her step-father, Chris, says to her

"Making conversation or overwhelming him?" Jade sighs "Sorry, Beck."

"S'alright." He assures her with a smile "Wow, you look..."

He doesn't know how to find the words to tell her. She's wearing lighter makeup than usual, and she's curled her hair. She's wearing a black flowy tank top, light jeans, and sandals. She looks totally different from how she normally does at school, but somehow that makes Beck like her even more.

"I look...?"

"Beautiful." He smiles "Breathtakingly beautiful."

"How sweet." Jade smirks, grabbing her purse off the banister

"Remember, home by 10:30." Kaitlyn reminds Jade as she moves towards the door

"Right." Jade nods "Anything else?"

"No." Kaitlyn shakes her head "Have a good time tonight."

"We'll try our best." Jade nods "C'mon, Beck."

"It was nice to meet you all." Beck waves as he opens the door for Jade "I'll make sure she gets home on time."

"Thank you, Beck." Kaitlyn smiles "It was nice to meet you as well."

Both Chris and Kaitlyn watch as Beck and Jade make their way down the front walk to James' awaiting car in the driveway. Beck opens the door to the backseat so that Jade can get in, then closes it behind her once he knows she's inside and runs around to the other side to join her.

"Hi Jade." James greets her as he puts the car in reverse "I'm Mr. Oliver."

"Hi Mr. Oliver." Jade smiles a bit "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"So...where are we going?" Jade asks Beck quietly

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises." Jade says flatly

Beck laughs a bit, until he realizes that she isn't kidding.

"Well, uh..." He clears his throat "I thought maybe we could play mini golf...and then walk across the street to Freez-e Queen and get ice cream?"

"Hm..." Jade ponders the details for a moment "Yeah, I guess that would be okay."

Okay? Just okay? Beck feels panicked suddenly. He doesn't want their date to be just 'okay', he wants it to be amazing and memorable.

"I-is there something else you'd rather do instead?" He asks her

"No, I like your idea."

"Alright..." Beck nods

The rest of the ride to the mini golf park is silent. When they arrive, both Beck and Jade thank James for the ride before climbing out of the car.

"Hey." James stops Beck "C'mere."

"Hm?" Beck hums, leaning up against the side of the car

"Remember what we talked about, okay? Be a gentlemen." James reminds his son "I'll be at the Jet Vroom down the block if you need anything. Pick you up at the Freez-e Queen at 10:00?"

"Yeah, that's right." Beck nods "Thanks, Dad."

"No problem." James nods "Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

He extends his hand to shake his son's as he does so, places three ten dollar bills into his hand.

"Dad, I-"

"Have fun." James winks before shifting the car into gear and driving off

"Everything okay, Oliver?" Jade asks

"Yup." Beck nods, pulling out his wallet "Everything is fine."

Beck pays for their admission fees using the money that his father gave him, and then the two teenagers begin playing. Beck had planned on missing a few strokes and so that he could let Jade win, but she's beating him all on her own. He wants to think its just because he's out of practice, but its probably because he's still that nervous.

"Wow, you suck at mini golf." Jade teases him "Is this your first time?"

"No." Beck assures her "I'm just out of practice is all."

"Yeah, okay." Jade nods with a smile

There's a bit of distance between the third and fourth holes, so Beck tries his best to let his hand brush up against Jade's as they walk. He's hoping to find a way to smoothly grab her hand and hold it, like a real couple would. But he's not having much luck. Eventually, he sucks it up and makes a move, but startles her in the process.

"What are you doing?" She exclaims, pulling her hand away

"I...nothing I guess." Beck sighs

"We're you trying to hold hands?" She smirks, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together "Because if you were, all you had to do was ask."

"Really?"

"Really." Jade laughs "Why are guys so obsessed with trying to make these 'smooth' moves on girls? Just be upfront about it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Beck laughs nervously as they approach the next hole

They play through the rest of the course, making conversation with each other as they do so. Beck learns that Jade has never had a boyfriend before, which is relieving because he's never had a real girlfriend. Jade learns that Beck likes a lot of the same music that she does. And they both learn that the other is also planning to audition to go to Hollywood Arts, the performing arts high school in Los Angeles.

"Andre said they're really selective." Beck sighs as he makes his putt

"Well, I think you have a chance." Jade tells him

"I _know_ you have a chance." Beck smiles at her

When they finish their game, they return their balls and clubs to the admissions gate and begin making their way across the street to Freez-e Queen. They hold hands the entire way, and Jade is surprised at how natural that feels. She knew Beck was nervous when he picked her up, she could see it in his face. It was relieving, because she was nervous too. It's not like her to let her emotions show, so she hid them with her strong personality. With as nervous as they both were she expected hand-holding to feel awkward, but it doesn't. It feels...nice.

They order their ice cream and Beck pays again, and then they make their way to a table to sit down and eat.

"Is chocolate your favorite?" Beck asks as they begin eating

She ordered a chocolate cone, and he ordered a chocolate chip.

"Most of the time." Jade nods "Unless they have peanut butter and banana, that's my absolute favorite."

"Noted." Beck says with a smile as he continues to eat his own ice cream

They make more small talk like this while they eat, but eventually they both finish. It's only 9:45, so they have some time before James arrives to pick them up. Beck considers texting him to come early, but decides on a better idea.

"Let's go sit outside." Beck nods towards the door "It's a nice night."

He grabs Jade's hand again and leads her outside to sit on a curb. They're not directly in front of the door, but the area they're sitting in is still well lit.

"You can't see as many stars here as you can in Canada..." Beck sighs, looking up at the sky "I was hoping to maybe impress you with my constellation knowledge."

"Sorry..." Jade laughs "All the bright lights make it hard to see much of anything up there."

"Yeah, that's what I'm learning." Beck nods

"Do you like living here?" She asks him

They've had a few conversations before tonight about how hard it had been for him to leave behind everything he had ever known in Canada. Jade had felt honored that he trusted her enough to listen, and Beck had been relieved that she cared enough to listen.

"S'not so bad anymore." Beck shrugs "I mean...I miss Canada, I miss my friends and my grandparents..."

"But...?"

"But I'm really glad I met you." He admits

"Are you really?" She asks him "Or are you just saying that because you want me to like you?"

"I really mean that." He tells her, shifting himself so that they're facing each other instead of side by side "You're really special, Jade West. I'm happy that I met you."

"I'm happy that I met you too." She admits, grabbing his hand "I had fun tonight."

"Really?" He smiles "You did?"

"Yeah, I did." She admits "I didn't think I would, but I did."

"So..."

"So...?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He blurts out "Wait, I mean...do you _want_ to be my girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I think I'd like that."

"Really?"

"Don't act so surprised, Oliver."

"Sorry." He blushes "I just kind of thought I blew it tonight is all..."

"You didn't blow it."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You said to be upfront..."

"Right, yeah I did." She nods "Sure. Let's kiss."

Beck has kissed one girl before. Lindsay Summers, back at camp the year before. He sort of remembers what he's doing, but Jade has never been kissed before. No boy has been brave enough to try. She's surprised when their lips meet, but she quickly learns that she likes to be kissed.

"Not bad." She grins at him "Boyfriend."

"Thanks, girlfriend." He chuckles "Y'know...I like the way that sounds. Girlfriend. Jade West is my girlfriend."

"I like that too." She admits

James comes to pick them up a few minutes later and immediately takes them back to Jade's house so that she doesn't miss her curfew. Beck holds her hand as he walks her to the door, but they don't kiss goodnight out of fear of embarrassing themselves in front of their parents.

"I'll text you." Beck promises as Jade unlocks the door and steps inside

"Alright." She smiles "I'll respond."

"Cool." Beck laughs, slowly backing down the front path "Goodnight, Jade."

"Goodnight, Beck."

She watches from the front window as Beck climbs into the passenger seat of the car and James drives away, then goes upstairs to change and take off her makeup.

"Oh, you're home." Her mother says as she reaches the top of the stairs "And you're smiling. I'm assuming you had a good time then?"

"Yeah." Jade smirks "I did."


	3. I Love You

Beck and Jade have been dating for three months by the time they receive any audition information from Hollywood Arts. They have to submit their academic transcripts first to make sure their grades are good enough to even get them to the audition process, but once they're in the clear they receive access to an online portal to select an audition time.

"What time are you signing up for?" Beck asks her "I'll take the spot after yours."

"Why would you take the spot after mine?" Jade asks him "I'll be waiting for you by myself once I'm done and I'll be a nervous wreck. Take the spot before mine so you can be there waiting for me when I finish."

"But then you'll be waiting by yourself before you go in." Beck reminds her "Are you sure that's what you want?"

She hesitates for a moment, looking up from her computer and making eye contact with him. Beck can tell she's really considering which situation would be worse to be in. She's very vulnerable when she's nervous, something he's come to know quite well over the past few months of their relationship, but she'd never let anyone besides him know that.

"I guess you're right." She sighs "Take the spot after mine, I'll wait with Cat or Andre afterwards."

"Which spot did you take?"

"The 6:20."

"Well, looks like I'll be taking the 6:30 then." Beck smiles, moving his mouse around his own computer screen "There, it's confirmed."

"Scheduling those auditions?" Jade's mother asks as she walks past them

It has become a regular occurrence for Beck and Jade to spend their Friday afternoons together doing homework. They alternate locations, studying at Jade's house on the weekends she stays with her mom and step-dad and at Beck's the weekends she's with her father. There have been a few occasions where Beck has met Jade's father, he's picked her up from his house before and there have been a few times he's picked her up from Beck's, but Jade still feels uneasy about bringing a boy around him. So she prefers that when they study at one of her houses, they do so at her mother's.

"Yup." Beck grins "We're all set to go for the first Wednesday in April."

"That's exciting!"

"Have you talked to Dad about-" Jade begins, but cuts her sentence short when she notices the irritated look on her mother's face "...sorry."

"It's complicated, Jade. You know that." Kaitlyn sighs

"He's complicated." Jade rolls her eyes

Her father was less than thrilled about her decision to attend a performing arts school. He viewed it as a waste of time and told her that if she was so dead set against public school, that he would pay her tuition for the 'best private school they could find'. Her mother was more than supportive of her goal to attend Hollywood Arts, and that was causing a bit of a riff between her parents. Not that there wasn't already a riff, their relationship had been rocky since the time they split up when Jade was still young enough to be in preschool, but this situation certainly wasn't helping it either.

"He's complicated, but he's not unreasonable." Her mother reminds her "He's not going to stop you from going there, it's just going to take a while for him to warm up to the idea."

"By the time he warms up to the idea, I'll be in college."

"Maybe so." Kaitlyn chuckles "Angie is on your side too, remember. That will probably help you some."

"That's your step-mom, right?" Beck whispers

Jade nods in confirmation. Beck only knows her step-mother as "Mrs. West" because that is what he has been told to call her, he often forgets that her real name is Angie.

"Are you staying for dinner tonight, Beck?" Kaitlyn asks, walking towards the kitchen "We have more than enough chili to go around."

"No, not tonight." Beck tells her "It's my dad's birthday, so my parents want to go out. Thank you for the offer though."

"You know you're welcome any time."

"I appreciate that, thank you." He thanks her again as his phone buzzes next to him on the table "Oh that's my dad, he must be outside."

"I'll walk you out." Jade offers as they both stand up from the table

"Alright." Beck nods, sliding his laptop and notebook into his backpack before slinging it over his shoulder "Thanks for letting me come over, Mrs. Parker. It was good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Beck." Kaitlyn smiles "Enjoy your weekend."

"You're such as kiss ass to my parents." Jade sighs as she walks him down the front hallway

"I'm just being nice." He chuckles "Besides, is it really so bad if they like me?"

"Makes it a bit harder for me to be rebellious..." She reminds him "But I suppose not."

"Good." He smirks, looking around to make sure that no adults are watching them before pressing a kiss to her lips "I'll see you Monday?"

"See you Monday." She tells him "Wait."

She grabs his face in her hands and presses another, this time longer, kiss to his lips. She even slips her tongue into his mouth for a brief moment before they hear a car horn from outside, signaling that Beck's parents are growing impatient.

"I've gotta go." He whispers to her

"Text me?" She looks up at him hopefully

"Of course." He nods, kissing her forehead quickly before heading for the door "And I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay." She gives him a small wave "Enjoy your dinner."

"Thanks." He smiles at her "Enjoy the rest of your night."

* * *

"What if we don't get in?" Jade says, a desperate tone in her voice "Or worse, what if only one of us gets in?"

"You need to relax." Beck chuckles, lacing their fingers together and tracing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb

"Easy for you to say." Jade scoffs "You never get nervous about anything."

"That's not true. I was nervous on our first date." He reminds her "And the first time I met your dad."

"That was different."

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow at her "How so?"

"I..." She hesitates "I don't know, it just was."

"Right, okay." Beck smirks "That makes sense."

The two of them sit side by side against a row of lockers outside the black box theater inside Hollywood Arts High School. Cat is in her audition, and Andre sits across the hallway from them tuning his acoustic guitar. The school itself is impressive, with state of the art technology, beautiful facilities, and bright and vibrant decorations everywhere you look. Both Beck and Jade can really picture themselves going to school there, but both of them are nervous to think about going there without the other.

"West?" A man with a clipboard appears at the entrance to the theater "Jade West?"

"That's you." Beck nudges her with a smile

"That's me." She nods, getting to her feet

"Hey." Beck stands up as well and grabs her hand "You'll do great."

"Thank you." She says quietly

He pecks her quickly on the lips and then she follows the man into the theater. It's exactly as the name implies it would be, a black box. A table of four people sitting in the front of the room, and the man with the clipboard sits down next to them to make a total of five judges.

"Jade West?" The man clarifies and Jade nods "Age fourteen, currently attending Central Middle School and auditioning for a freshman spot?"

"That's right."

"And you're going to sing for us, right?"

"I am."

"Whenever you're ready." The man with the clipboard smiles

Jade takes a deep breath before beginning to sing her audition song. She and Cat had spent countless hours trying to find the best one for each of them. Cat had opted to go a more mainstream route and selected I Wanna Dance With Somebody, while Jade selected On My Own from Les Miserables. Both songs seemed to fit the girls' individually, and they're hoping that it shows through in their auditions.

Before she knows it Jade has finished her song and the man with the clipboard is directing her out a different door than she came in, out into a different hallway. There are a few kids still lingering from their auditions, but Jade is relieved to see that Cat stuck around to wait for her rather than heading back to find Andre or Beck.

"Well?" Cat bounces up to her excitedly "How do you think it went?"

"I'm not sure, honestly." Jade admits "I don't really remember it. It's all kind of blurry."

"Oh, I know right?" Cat sighs "I felt the same way walking out of mine. I'm sure we both did fine."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Jade nods as Cat hugs her, although she's not entirely convinced.

Ten minutes later, Beck emerges from the same set of doors and a grin spreads across his face the moment his eyes land on Jade. He heads directly towards her and Cat, still on a confidence high from his audition. He had selected a monologue from Othello to perform, as well as one from The Producers to show that he could be dynamic in his performances and adapt to both a dramatic and comedic setting. He thought that he did quite well, and was sure that he impressed the panel of judges.

"How'd it go?" He asks Jade, slipping his arms around her waist and kissing the top of her head "Amazing, I'm sure."

"I don't know." Jade admits "I barely remember it."

"What do you mean?" Beck chuckles, spinning her around so they're face-to-face "It was twenty minutes ago."

"I was that nervous." She clarifies "I've already blocked the whole thing out."

"Aw, Jade." He frowns "You're amazing. Those judges would be stupid if they couldn't see that."

"Thanks...I think." Jade tells him as he kisses her cheek

They wait for Andre to finish his audition, then return to the main hallway to wait with the rest of the students who also auditioned. The auditions are scheduled through 8:00 and then the panel of judges has until 8:30 to finalize the list of students they are going to accept into the school. The list would be posted outside the black box immediately afterwards, and online the next morning. Beck, Jade, Cat, and Andre all decided they would be willing to wait around for the actual list to be posted, rather than having to spend a sleepless night waiting to see the list online in the morning.

"How many are they letting in again?" Andre asks

"Sixty." Beck reminds him

"And how many auditioned?"

"Eighty-two."

The auditions had been running all day, some students had even skipped school to audition. The four friends had signed up for audition slots closer to the end not only because their parents wouldn't allow them to skip school, but also because they hoped it would keep them fresh in the judges minds.

"I'm small." Cat says suddenly "When they post the list, I'll weave my way through all of the people to get to them and look."

"They'll post more than one copy."

"Unless they post eight-two copies, there's still going to be a mad rush to get to the lists."

Jade feels more and more anxious with each minute that passes. She's sitting in front of Beck, leaning against him as he leans against the lockers. His arms are wrapped around her waist, and he rubs her arm gently while they wait.

She knows Beck will get in, she's watched him rehearse and he's phenomenal. But she has no idea what kind of shot she has herself. What if she doesn't get in? What will her dad say? Surely he'd rub it in her face and say it 'was a stupid plan anyway'. And what about Beck? Surely he'd break up with her and find a new, prettier, more talented girlfriend who was more on par with his own talent.

"It's going to be fine." Beck whispers to her, as if he can sense her stress "All four of us are going to get in and all four of us will get to go to school here together."

At exactly 8:30, the doors to the black box swing open and all five judges appear. Each of them hold a list and spread out along the hallway to tape it on the wall.

"Please no pushing or sh-" The man with the clipboard, who they have since learned is the principal, begins to say as the crowd of students pushes past him to get to the lists

"C'mon!" Jade grabs Beck's hands and pulls him towards the closest list

She shoves a few people out of the way so that they can make their way to the front of the line.

"Careful, Jade!" Beck exclaims "Getting there first won't change what's on the paper!"

But Jade doesn't care, she has to know. She has to know what the future has in store for her.

She starts at the top of the list and lets her eyes travel downwards. It's alphabetical so Andre's name appears first, which isn't surprising. There's a few more names that she doesn't recognize and then she sees Beck's name.

"You got in!" She squeezes his hand "See?"

"You did too." He grins

"What?"

Beck points to the bottom of the list and at first Jade only notices Cat's name. But then a few spaces just below it she sees her own name written in bold lettering.

"We all got in!" She turns to Beck, smiling

"We sure did. I knew we would." He smiles back, before pulling her into his arms and kissing her

* * *

"You're kidding, right?" Cat groans

"Nah, we're gonna do it." Andre chuckles, looking to Beck

"There's a hose right there." Cat points "Literally. Three feet away from you."

"Your point?" Beck raises an eyebrow at her

"I...oh whatever." Cat sighs "Just don't tell my parents."

It's June now and Beck and Jade have been together for six months. Cat's parents had allowed her to bring her friends along on their annual lake trip that they take every summer, with the only condition being that Cat and Jade slept in one room and Andre and Beck in another. The kids were willing to cooperate, especially since there weren't many other rules in place. They had to stay on the property after dark, which was fine because there was a fire pit in the yard and a movie screen in the basement, and make sure that the jet skis were tied up each time they left the dock.

"Goodnight, you weirdo." Jade shakes her head, walking over to Beck to kiss him goodnight "You're really gonna piss on the bonfire?"

"Gotta put it out somehow, don't we?" Beck chuckles

"You're so weird." Jade shakes her head "Goodnight!"

"I can't believe them." Cat sighs as she and Jade make their way back into the house "That's so gross."

"Their just trying to assert their dominance." Jade rolls her eyes "Even though they have none."

The two girls quietly tiptoe into the bedroom that the two of them are sharing so they don't wake Cat's parents. They opted to share the one queen-sized bed and give the boys the room that had two twins, since they knew Beck and Andre would make a much bigger deal about having to share a bed.

"I think I'm going to shower real quick." Cat says to Jade "I smell like smoke."

"You know we're just going to wake up and jump right back in the lake, right?" Jade reminds her

"Well yeah, but I feel dirty." Cat dances around a bit "I don't like to sleep when I'm dirty."

"Suit yourself." Jade sighs "I'll be in here."

Cat grabs her towel and pajamas and exits the bedroom to start her shower. Jade grabs her pajamas out of her suitcase and begins changing, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. She pulls on a sports bra and pajama shorts and quietly slips out into the hallway, not at all surprised that she ends up face-to-face with her boyfriend.

"Have fun peeing on the fire, did you?" She asks him, leaning up against the wall

"It's more fun than you would think." He chuckles as he moves closer to her

"You washed your hands, right?"

"Of course."

"Beck."

"I did, I promise."

"Alright." She smiles, cupping the side of his face with her hand and beginning to kiss him

"Cat's in the shower?"

"Mhm..." She hums between kisses

They make out for about five minutes until they hear the water in the bathroom turn off, signaling that their privacy is going to be interrupted soon.

"Damn." Beck sighs

"Yeah." Jade frowns "Same time tomorrow night?"

"Duh." Beck laughs kissing her quickly one last time "Goodnight, Jade. I love you."

"You what?" She asks him

"I love you." He repeats "I...I've been waiting a long time to tell you that."

"I love you too." She tells him

"You do?"

"I do."

"You're not just saying that because I said it?"

"Well, hearing you say it made me realize that it's true." Jade admits "I love you."

Saying it out loud is comforting and terrifying all at once. She loves him more than anything, and he loves her more than anything. But neither one of them has ever said that to anyone else before...at least not in a romantic way.

"So, we're in love then?" He grins at her

"Alright, don't ruin the moment by making it cheesy." Jade warns him "But yeah...I guess we are."


	4. Growing Up

"I swear, this place gets cooler and cooler every single day." Andre exclaims as he slides into a seat at the lunch table "Did you know we have technicians on staff who can help with broken instruments?"

"You plan on smashing your guitar sometime soon?" Beck asks him, raising an eyebrow as he does so

"No." Andre says flatly as he narrows his eyes "But if I break a string or something, there's literally people who work for the school that can help me."

"That's great, man." Beck chuckles "I'll keep that in mind next time I break a guitar string."

"You haven't touched your guitar in six months." Jade chuckles as she approaches the table, followed closely by Cat and their new friend Robbie

Cat had been the one to introduce Robbie Shapiro to the rest of the group. The two of them had befriended one another in their first period English class, where they had been seated right next to each other alphabetically. It wasn't hard to tell that Robbie had a giant crush on Cat, especially because it made him act even more awkward than he already was. But he seemed like a cool enough person to be around. He could play the guitar and sang a bit, tried his hand at acting every once and a while, and liked the same video games that Beck and Andre did. The boys enjoyed having another guy around, and even Jade was starting to warm up to Robbie as well.

"I could start playing it again tomorrow." Beck shrugs "You never know."

"No, I do know." Jade laughs, giving Beck a quick kiss before sitting down at the table next to him "Hi."

"Hey." He grins "How was dance class?"

"Eh." Jade shrugs "It was alright."

"Just alright?"

"I'm just not that in to hip hop." She tells him "I would have rather taken a jazz class instead, but hip hop is the prerequisite."

"Well, I'm sure you're great at it anyways."

"Oh I never said I wasn't good at hip hop." Jade scoffs with a smile as she opens her boxed salad "I just said it wasn't my favorite."

"I love hip hop!" Cat chimes into the conversation "The music is so fun!"

"I know." Jade chuckles "You spend the entire fifty minute class period telling me so. Every single day."

Cat giggles to herself and begins eating her lunch, and the rest of her friends do the same. They talk about the morning classes they attended, some of them have classes with the others, but the only class all five of them have together is their drama class with Mr. Sikowitz immediately following their lunch period.

Mr. Sikowitz is a bit strange...and at times can be a bit unpredictable, but he has easily become all five of their favorite teacher at Hollywood Arts. He's been able to teach them so much already in just the first few months of school, and all of them are secretly hoping they'll be able to take a class of his every semester.

"Hi Beck." A brunette girl waves as she walks past their table

"Hey Beck." Her friend adds

"Uh, hi." Beck chuckles as the two girls pass them and make their way over to the grub truck

"Who are they?" Jade asks him

"I have no idea." Beck admits

"Well, then why did you say hi to them?"

"Because I was being polite?"

"You don't have to be polite to everyone!" Jade exclaims "Especially when they're flirting with you!"

"Jade, they just said hi to me."

"And their eyes were all big and they were smiling and looking pretty and flipping their hair all goofy like-"

"Here we go..." Andre sighs

"Excuse me?" Jade scoffs "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

It is quite clear to the entire group that Jade has developed a tendency to get quite jealous quite often. They're at a new school and meeting new people, specifically new girls, who all seem to be drooling over Beck. She doesn't blame them, he's hot. She knows that. But she really wishes that they would all notice that he was dating _her_ and leave him alone. After all, what if one of them shows him something he likes better than her? As much as it would pain her to say something so cheesy...he's the best thing that's ever happened to her. She can't lose him to some blonde bimbo with goo-goo eyes.

"Jade, babe." Beck says calmly as he wraps an arm around her shoulders "There's no need to get upset. Even if girls flirt with me, I won't flirt back. Because _you_ are my girlfriend and you're the only girl at this school that I care about."

"Hey!" Cat exclaims

"...that I care about, romantically." Beck corrects himself "Okay? I love _you_. I only love you."

"I love you too." Jade pouts "Just do me one favor?"

"Sure."

"Tell me those girls that walked past here just now are ugly."

"They're hideous." Beck smirks, leaning in to kiss her

"Crisis averted?" Robbie whispers to Andre

"Yeah." Andre chuckles "Crisis averted."

* * *

"Are you really sure you want me to do this?" Cat sighs "It's really not the same thing as getting your ears done."

"Yeah babe, are you sure you don't want to wait and get this done at the mall?" Beck adds "Y'know, by someone who actually knows what they're doing? No offense, Cat."

"If I go to the mall, I need to have one of my parents with me." Jade reminds them both "And even though I have four of them, there's not a chance in hell that any of them would agree to it."

"Then maybe its not the best idea then..." Beck reminds her

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do to my own body, Oliver."

"I just don't want you to get in trouble, Jade."

"If I get in trouble it's my own problem." She reminds him "Cat, do you think you can do it?"

Cat and Jade had pierced each other's doubles at home a few summers back using only ice cubes and needles, and now Jade was desperate for a nose piercing as well. She had casually tried running the idea past her mom a few days prior, but she shot it down immediately. She knew her stepfather would side with her mom, and that her father wouldn't be on board either. But she trusted Cat to do a good job like she had with her ears.

"Yeah, I can do it." Cat nods "Just let me get a couple of ice cubes."

There's a teacher institute that day and the group of friend's decided to hang out at Cat's house. Her parents were at work, so they were relatively unsupervised and there was no one to necessarily stop any piercing from happening.

"Right or left side?" Cat asks, wrapping a few ice cubes up in a washcloth

"Left, duh." Jade reminds her

"Alright, hold this there for a few seconds while I find a needle big enough."

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" Beck asks as Jade lifts the ice cubes to her nose

"I don't need you to, if that's what you're asking." Jade smirks "But if it would make you feel better you can."

"I'll do whatever you need me to do." He shrugs

Jade says nothing but smirks at him again as she reaches out and grabs his hand, lacing their fingers together as Cat re-enters the kitchen.

"Alright, this one should work." She tells Jade "I'm going to need you to sit down though because you're way taller than I am."

"Sure." Jade nods, walking over and sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs

Beck follows dutifully behind her, never letting go of her hand.

"Oh my god, you're actually going to do this?" Robbie says, his voice uneasy

"You don't have to watch if you don't want to." Cat assures him, grabbing a marker and drawing a dot on Jade's nose "There, does that look okay?"

Jade sets the ice cubes down and pulls out her phone, opening the camera to see where Cat placed the mark.

"Looks good to me." Jade nods

"Alright." Cat shrugs, lining the needle up with the mark "You ready?"

"Sure am."

"Is there going to be blood?" Robbie asks

"Most definitely." Cat nods

Beck is standing on Jade's right side, so he can't see when the needle goes into her nose. But he can tell when Cat pushes it though, because Jade squeezes his hand very tightly. He smirks to himself, knowing that she tried to act tough enough to not want to hold his hand but actually needed him there. Or maybe she only did it to make him feel better, he doesn't know. But regardless he's happy he could support her, even if she's making a decision that will get her in trouble with her parents.

"Oh I think I'm going to be sick!" Robbie exclaims, covering his mouth and running out of the room

"I'll go check on him..." Andre sighs, rolling his eyes and following Robbie out of the room

Cat removes the needle and pushes the stud Jade had given her into her friend's nose.

"Alright, you're all done!" Cat smiles "What do you think?"

"It looks great." Jade grins as she checks her reflection in her phone again "Thanks, Cat."

"Anytime." Cat chuckles "Just don't throw me under the bus when your parents get mad."

"I won't." Jade assures her

Cat walks away to clean the needle off and wash her hands, giving Beck the space to walk around to Jade's other side and see the piercing for the first time.

"How does it look?" She asks him

"I didn't think it was possible but somehow...you look hotter." Beck says as he bites his lip

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He smirks, leaning down to kiss her "I can't wait to make out with you later."

"Oh. So you only like me for my looks then?"

"Hey now..." Beck chuckles, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in his "I didn't say that."

"You implied it."

"I love you for so much more than your looks." He assures her "I love that you act all tough to everyone but have a soft spot for me and Cat and your brother. I love how dedicated and how passionate you are about performing. I love your smile and I love your laugh. I love the way your eyebrows scrunch up when you're deep in thought. I love-"

"Alright, alright." Jade smiles, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him "I get it."

* * *

"I can't believe you two!" Beck sighs as he walks into the house, slamming the front door behind him

Jade had been over for the afternoon and her step-mother had just picked her up. For some reason, his parents seemed to be especially over-bearing that day, asking them non-stop questions about school and their grades. His mother wouldn't stop commenting on Jade's new piercings, the one Cat had done on her nose and the new eyebrow one her mother had allowed her to get done at the mall when she realized her daughter had the ability to pierce things even without her permission. Both of his parents kept popping in and out of his room, trying to talk to them and constantly making sure that they were keeping the door open as far as it could go. They made it impossible for either of them to get any homework done, let alone for them to have any alone time just the two of them.

"Watch your tone, young man." His mother warns

"Me? Watch my tone?" Beck scoffs "What about the tone you used with Jade when you asked her about piercings?"

"Beckett, I told you that girl was a bad influence." Priya sighs "Look what she's gone and done to her face."

"I _like_ the piercings."

"Oh sweetheart, no you don't." Priya chuckles "Or you may think you do. Just wait, you'll look back in a few years and realize she was crazy for doing that. And it's unfortunate because she really _is_ quite pretty."

"Priya, that's enough." James cuts in "She's our son's girlfriend, don't talk down about her like that."

"Thanks, Dad." Beck sighs "But you're not exactly in the clear either here."

"What did I do?" James asks

"Both of you!" Beck exclaims "You kept popping in and out of my room the entire time she was here! Asking us stupid questions about school and what kind of pencils we like to use! 'Oh, make sure you keep the door open all the way guys!' C'mon! We were really just trying to do our homework!"

"Well if you would just do your homework in the kitchen like I suggested, we wouldn't have to be checking in on you all the time." Priya reminds him

"Sometimes we like to be by ourselves!" Beck tells her "We spend all day at school constantly surrounded by other people, every once and a while its nice to be alone and hang out just the two of us. Maybe once and a while even having the door closed. We wouldn't even do anything that you're thinking we would with you guys home anyways."

"Now just a second, young man. You know the rule about the door." James reminds him "And as long as you live under my roof, you will follow my rules."

"Maybe I should get my own roof then!"

"Beck-"

"I don't care!" Beck exclaims "I'm going to my room."

He disappears out of the kitchen and goes into his room, slamming the door behind him and causing both of his parents to jump.

"Oh, where did we go wrong with him..." Priya sighs, turning to her husband

"We didn't go wrong anywhere." James sighs "That's the problem. We raised him to think for himself and that's exactly what he's doing."

"It's that girl, James."

"Jade has nothing to do with it." James tells her "You know that. We can't blame her for him growing up, that was going to happen whether he had met her or not."

"So, what do we do?"

"I think we just have to give him his space." James shrugs "Let him have a little independence. He's fifteen now, Priya. Like it or not, our little boy is becoming a man."

"How much more independent can we let him be?"

"I think I might have an idea." James admits "But it's going to involve some big changes."

* * *

A week or so later, Beck is in his room reading through a new play he had been assigned for one of his drama classes. Jade had assured him that the whole ordeal with his parents had been no big deal, and that she wasn't offended or upset. But Beck was still upset, and making it very clear to his parents. He knows that with him being an only child they're going to be a bit more overbearing than most parents might be, but there comes a point where they just can't get away with babying him anymore.

There's suddenly a loud noise outside, and then a beeping like a large vehicle is in reverse. He peeks out his bedroom window, but doesn't have a clear view of the front of the house. Still curious, he sets his script down and goes to investigate.

He finds both of his parents standing on the front lawn, watching as a man in a pickup truck backs what appears to be an old silver RV into the driveway.

"Mom? Dad?" Beck steps outside and closes the door behind him "What's going on? Is that an RV?"

"It is." James nods "What do you think?"

"I think I'm confused as to what it's doing in our driveway."

"You said you wanted your own roof, didn't you?"

"Wait." Beck smiles "Are you serious?"

"As serious as a heart attack."

"You're going to let me move out?"

"Now wait just a minute." Priya stops him "The RV is staying parked in the driveway. It's fine if you want to do the whole 'my roof, my rules' thing, but you're still going to be under our supervision. You don't move it anywhere without our permission, you'll still eat all of your meals in the house with us, you'll still have a curfew-"

She stops talking when Beck wraps both her and James up in a giant group hug.

"Thank you." He mutters

"You're welcome." She tells him, rubbing his back gently "Just remember that it's a privilege, alright? We gave it to you, and we can take it away just as easily."

"Of course." Beck nods "I promise I'll be responsible."


	5. 12 Months

Beck doesn't bring any friends over to the RV until he's completely moved in. The first Saturday after he finishes getting settled, he invites everyone over to hang out. He tells his parents that he's doing so out of politeness, but he feels very grown up knowing that he doesn't need their permission.

"Phew, this isn't a bad setup, dude." Andre grins as he walks into the RV

"Yeah it's pretty sweet, huh?" Beck grins

"Aw babe..." Jade smiles as she looks around "This is great."

"Thanks." He smiles, giving her a quick peck on the lips before turning back to the group "Follow me for the grand tour."

There isn't really much of a tour to give, the RV itself is actually quite small. But he shows his friends where the bathroom is and how to make sure the toilet flushes even when the handle sticks. He shows them his closet and his bed and the entertainment system his dad had helped him set up, complete with his video game console and a blu-ray DVD player.

"And babe?" He says to Jade, pulling a storage box out from under his bed "This is for you, y'know...in case there's anything you want to keep here ever."

It's not quite a drawer, but he really doesn't have much room for a dresser. He also has pads and tampons under the sink for her in the bathroom, should she ever need them. But he'll tell her about that later when Andre and Robbie aren't around.

"Ooooh Jade." Cat teases her "Are you going to be spending the night here all of the time now?"

"That's not what I meant by this." Beck is quick to assure her, setting the box down "I didn't mean to imply anything or make you feel uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable." Jade assures him "I think it's sweet."

"You do?"

"Yeah." She smiles "I do."

"Cool." He smiles back at her

"Alright alright Beck and Jade are in love, cool." Andre rolls his eyes "Are we going to watch a movie or what?"

"I mean if that's what you guys want." Beck shrugs "Or we could play video games or something."

"Every time we play video games the girls end up getting upset." Robbie reminds him

"That's because you guys always pick stupid games that Cat and I don't know how to play." Jade scoffs

"Yeah!" Cat adds "You guys always want to play Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty or stupid shit like that. What the hell is wrong with Rock Band or Mario Kart?"

"Hey now." Beck chimes in, wrapping an arm around Jade's waist "Jade has actually gotten pretty good at Assassin's Creed. She can almost beat me, which means she can definitely beat you, Robbie."

"Hey!"

"That's true, I have been practicing." Jade chuckles as Beck kisses the top of her head "Maybe we should just stick with a movie though, I don't want to make Robbie cry."

"I'm right here, you know!" Robbie exclaims

"It's okay, Robbie." Cat assures him "I'm no good at those games either."

"I am good though!"

"Sure you are." Cat giggles "What movie are we watching? Dibs on the bean bag chair!"

Cat makes herself comfortable in the bean bag chair on the floor, while Andre and Robbie position themselves on opposite sides of Beck's couch and Beck and Jade snuggle up together on his bed. There's a great deal of arguing, as there usually is when this group in particular tries to pick a movie. Jade wants to watch something scary, and Beck wants whatever Jade does. But Cat doesn't like scary movies and wants to watch a cartoon and Robbie sides with her because he still has a huge crush on her. Andre just wants to keep the peace and will go with whatever the majority wants. Eventually they settle on Superbad, which they're still too young to see but Beck knows his parents will never find out he has a copy.

"This is really cool that you kind of have your own little place now." Jade whispers to him as the movie plays

She and Beck are both laying on his bed. He's propped up against the pillows and has his arm wrapped around her as she rests her head against his chest. Both of them are surprised at how natural it feels to be laying like this, even though they've rarely had the opportunity to do so in their relationship so far. There's always been a parent or a little brother around, watching them like a hawk to make sure they don't do anything even mildly inappropriate.

"I know, right?" Beck grins "It's like I'm an adult or something. Maybe I should get a job too."

"I mean if you want to." Jade laughs

"I think I might when I turn sixteen." Beck nods "That way I have money to spoil you."

"Oh well don't do it just for me."

"Well I'm going to have a car I need to put gas in too." Beck reminds her "It wouldn't be just for you."

"Shush!" Cat hisses "I can't hear!"

"Oops." Beck chuckles "We've been reprimanded."

* * *

"Alright kids, have a good time tonight." James tells Beck and Jade as they step out of the car "I'll be back to pick you up around nine."

"Thanks, Dad." Beck says to him as he grabs Jade's hand and laces their fingers together "We appreciate it."

"Yeah we do." Jade agrees "Thank you, Mr. Oliver."

James waves to them and drives off, leaving the two teenagers standing alone on the street.

"C'mon." Beck nods "The restaurant is this way."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going now?" Jade asks him

"You'll see when we get there." He smirks

"You know I hate surprises."

"Well let me surprise you just this once." Beck laughs

It's their first anniversary. They've been dating for a whole year. So they want to celebrate, like any couple would. Beck is taking her out to dinner, using the money he's earned doing odd jobs around the house for his parents over the past few months. Then his dad is going to pick them up and take them back to the RV so they can watch a movie. Or at least that's what their parents think they're going to do. Jade's mom will pick her up around midnight.

"Beck." Jade groans

"Alright fine." Beck caves "You like sushi, don't you?"

"Are we going to Nozu?" Jade asks hopefully

"We might be." He laughs "Is that alright?"

"Uh, duh. I love Nozu."

"I know you do." Beck smiles at her "That's why I picked it."

When they arrive at the restaurant, which is only about a block from where James dropped them off, Beck lets go of Jade's hand so he can open the door for her. Although he made a reservation, they still have to wait about fifteen minutes for a table to be ready. It's understandable, Nozu is a popular place and anywhere in LA is going to be crowded on a Saturday night. When they're finally given a table, Beck is sure to pull Jade's chair out for her and helps her scoot in before sitting down himself.

"Such a gentleman." Jade smirks as Beck takes his seat

"Well, we may have been dating for a year now..." Beck admits "But I still feel like I need to impress you."

"That's cute." Jade laughs

"I'm serious." He tells her "I know the jealously is kind of your thing-"

"Watch it."

"-but I'm still afraid you'll change your mind about me." Beck finishes "Honestly, I'm still shocked you even agreed to go out with me in the first place."

"I am too." Jade chuckles "But I'm glad I did. At risk of sounding incredibly cheesy...I think you might just be the best thing that's ever happened to me, Beck Oliver."

"Likewise, Jade West."

A waiter brings them their menus and they order drinks, holding hands under the table the whole time. They both order sushi, but different kinds so that they can swap a few and each get to try some of both. The evening goes well, much to the relief of both of them. They had both been fearing that something would happen to ruin what they intended to be the perfect evening, but nothing does. No one spills any drinks, their orders come out right on the first try, their waiter is polite, and they get to spend time alone just the two of them.

"Can I do something cheesy?" Beck asks her when they're about halfway through the meal

"Depends." Jade shrugs "Does it involve public humiliation for either one of us?"

"I hope not."

"Go for it then."

"I'd like to make a toast." He tells her, raising his glass "To our relationship."

"Oh alright fine." Jade smirks, raising her glass as well and knocking it against his "To our relationship."

"A whole year." He grins "That's impressive."

"Yeah, it is." She agrees with a smile

"I'm not going to lie..." Beck sighs, setting his glass down on the table again "When my parents first told me that we were moving to America...I thought my life was over. I had only lived in the same house in the same town near the same people my entire life, and the thought of doing anything else was terrifying and almost depressing. I thought it would be awful and I would hate it here. But I have to admit...the past year has been the absolute best year of my life so far, and that's all because you've been in it. I love you, Jade."

"I love you too, Beck." Jade smiles, reaching underneath the table and squeezing his leg reassuringly "I'm glad I've been able to help you feel at home here."

"You could help me feel at home anywhere." Beck admits "Seriously, Jade. I feel like as long as I have you, I'll be happy anywhere."

"No pressure." Jade chuckles nervously

"I didn't mean to imply any." Beck assures her "It's just...I dunno. I just love you a lot is all."

"I love you too."

The waiter brings the check and Beck pays all of it, despite Jade insisting that he let her pay for half of it.

"I earned this money. I get to choose what I do with it." Beck tells her "And I'm choosing to spoil my girlfriend on our anniversary."

They walk hand-in-hand together back to the spot where James had dropped them off, waiting for him to return. Beck makes a comment about the similarity to their first date, sitting on the curb waiting for his father to pick them up.

"Well by our second anniversary, you'll be sixteen." Jade reminds him "Hopefully you'll be able to drive us then."

Beck smiles and wraps and arm around her shoulders, smiling as he pulls her closer to him so he can press a kiss to the top of her head. The fact that she's already thinking ahead to their second anniversary makes him feel warm inside, she really sees their relationship lasting the same way that he hopes it will.

James arrives and picks them up, driving them back to the Oliver house so that the two teenagers can continue their evening in the RV watching a movie.

"What's playing tonight guys?" James asks as they step out of the car

"50 First Dates." Jade answers before Beck can "It's the first movie we ever watched together just the two of us. We thought it would be appropriate from a nostalgic standpoint."

"S'a good choice then, I suppose." James nods

"We're going to close the curtains in the RV though, Dad." Beck informs him "The headlights from the cars driving by make a really nasty glare on the TV screen and makes it hard to see the actual movie."

"That's fine." James shrugs "I can trust you two, can't I?"

"Of course, Mr. Oliver."

"Alright, you two kids enjoy the rest of your night." James tells them as he turns towards the house "Beck? Text me or your mom when Jade gets picked up."

"Alright, will do." Beck nods, grabbing Jade's hand and leading her towards the RV

"Goodnight, Mr. Oliver!" Jade calls to him "Thanks for driving us!"

"Anytime, Jade."

Beck unlocks the RV and holds the door open for Jade to step inside. She enters and flips on the lights before kicking off her heels as Beck comes inside behind her. He immediately goes to work closing the curtains on the windows as Jade flips the TV on.

"I thought we were going to-"

"We are." She nods "But don't you think they'll get a little suspicious if they look out and it's pitch black in here?"

"Oh, yeah you're right." Beck agrees "Good thinking. We'll just keep it on mute."

Jade mutes the TV and tosses the remote onto the couch as Beck goes over to his closet and starts digging around.

"Looking for something?" Jade asks him

"Well yeah." Beck says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world "I couldn't put them in the bathroom. That would be the first place my parents would look."

"You think they'd be looking for them?"

"Not necessarily. But I know they come in here every once and a while when I'm not around. They definitely want to make sure I'm keeping it clean. Part of that whole 'responsibility' thing, you know?" Beck tells her as he pulls the box of condoms out of his closet "Found them."

"So, we're really doing this then." Jade takes a deep breath as she smiles at him

She's nervous, and she knows he's nervous too. They've both admitted to being nervous about it, neither one of them had ever dated anyone seriously before they met the other so obviously it was going to be the first time for both of them. There is no precedent, they don't know what to expect. But they've talked about it, they've been talking about it for a while, and it's what they both want.

"Only if you're still comfortable with it." Beck reminds her "I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you. This isn't something we should force."

"I want to." She assures him "You still want to, right?"

"I do." He nods

"Alright well..." She steps forward and wraps her arms around his neck, looking up and making eye contact with him briefly before beginning to kiss him

"Jade..."

"Hm?"

"The...lights."

He breaks away from her and quickly moves across the RV to flip the lights off again, the only light in the small space now coming from the television in the corner. Before his eyes adjust, Jade's silhouette is the only thing he can see. For a moment he feels like he can't breathe. She's so beautiful standing there in front of him, still in her fancy dress from dinner and hair a bit messed up.

"Everything okay?" She asks him

"Everything is more than okay." He smirks, walking towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist "Your beauty just took my breath away for a second there."

"Alright..." She chuckles "Where were we?"

They make their way to the bed and Jade climbs on top of him, straddling his waist as she lays down on top of him. Beck pulls his shirt up over his head, then reaches for the hem of Jade's dress to help her take it off. She freezes, unsure of what to do.

"Are you alright?" He asks her "We can stop-"

"No." She shakes her head "I'm fine. I want to keep going, it's just new is all."

"Sure."

They've seen each other almost-naked plenty of times before. Whether it be in their swimsuits, or when they're alone just the two of them and want to make their make-out sessions a bit more intimate. But this is the first time either one of them will see what's underneath.

"You love me, right?" She says quietly as he reaches around to unhook her bra

"Jade..." Beck almost laughs "Of course I do."

"I just feel really vulnerable right now."

"I know." He nods "I do too. Do you want to-"

"Take your pants off?" She cuts him off "Yes. Yes I do."

Neither one of them really has anything to compare the experience to, but in the end they both agree that it's one of the best things they've ever experienced. Sure parts of it were clumsy and awkward, they expected that, but for the most part it was amazing.

"I don't think I've ever felt as close to anyone as I feel to you right now." Beck whispers to her as he traces tiny circles on her collarbone "I love you so much."

They're laying underneath the blankets now, still naked and wrapped up in each other's arms.

"I love you too." She smiles up at him "I can't wait to do that again."

"We can do that whenever you want." Beck laughs "In fact, we might even have time right now if you wanted to go for round two."

"My mom will be here to pick me up soon." Jade reminds him "I don't want us to get caught."

"Yeah, you're right." Beck agrees as he brushes a strand of hair out of her face "We should probably get dressed."

"No..." She whines, snuggling her head up against his chest "Let's just lay here for five more minutes."


	6. Tori Vega

Jade can barely believe that what is happening in front of her is actually happening.

Not only is her boyfriend kissing another girl right in front of her, right in front of all of their friends and classmates, he's kissing a girl who tried to flirt with him just a few days prior.

She had been furious when she walked into class that day and found the new girl not only rubbing her boyfriend's chest and abs, but making flirty eyes and smiling at him as well. Apparently, dumping coffee on her head and embarrassing her in front of the entire class hadn't been enough of a hint to stay away. Or maybe this girl was actually going to put up a fight, she doesn't know. She does know that she's angry though. Angry at this Tori girl and angry at Beck. Or maybe she's sad. Maybe she's a bit of both.

The bell rings to end class and everyone starts packing up their things, shoving it all into their book bags and heading off to wherever they need to be next.

"Great work today, everyone!" Sikowitz says loudly so he can be heard over all of the commotion of the transition "We'll continue with improv exercises tomorrow!"

"Jade..." Beck sighs as he steps off the stage, meeting her angry gaze "Jade, wait."

Jade says nothing as she slings her bag over her shoulder, rushing out of the room. She doesn't want to talk to him right now, she doesn't even want to look at him. How could he do this to her? Not only did he betray her, but he embarrassed her in front of all of their peers. Everyone saw him kiss another girl, and the gossip will spread around the school by the end of the day. Everyone will be looking to see how she reacts.

"You know we're friends, right Beck?" Cat says to him quietly, appearing at his side

He nods.

"Can I tell you something, as your friend?"

"Sure."

"That was really stupid."

"I know it was." Beck sighs "Check on her for me, will you?"

"Kk." Cat nods, exiting the room to follow Jade to her next class

"I'm sorry." Tori apologizes, stepping off the stage and grabbing her bag from her chair "I just wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine, I never really thought about how it might blow up in your face too."

"S'not entirely your fault...I consented to it." Beck tells her as he reaches for his own bag "But don't ever expect me to help you hurt my girlfriend ever again."

"Beck, I-"

"Look, Tori. I'm really happy that this school is working out for you. I wanna be friends with you, but Jade is my girlfriend. Please don't ever put me in a situation like that ever again."

Meanwhile, Jade doesn't say a word to anyone, not even Cat, for the rest of the day. She's so angry at Beck for doing something like that, but she's also so heartbroken that he would even consider it. When she arrives home from school that day, she wants nothing more than to go straight to her room and be alone for the rest of the evening.

"Jade?" Her mother calls to her from the kitchen when she hears the door open and close "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"No!" Jade calls back to her, kicking her boots off by the door before stomping upstairs

"Jade!" Kaitlyn exclaims, running up the stairs after her daughter "What makes you think you can talk to me like that?"

"I'm just not in the mood right now, Mom." Jade rolls her eyes as she tries to close her bedroom door behind her

"Well get yourself in the mood." Kaitlyn says, sticking her arm between the door and the frame so Jade can't shut her out "Because you and I need to have a very serious conversation."

Jade is stubborn, but she knows when her mother is about to win a battle. She opens the door all the way so Kaitlyn can come inside. She shrugs her bag off of her shoulder and sits down on the bed as her mother closes the door behind them.

"What is it?" She sighs, running a hand through her hair to pull it out of her face

"I was hoping you could explain this..." Kaitlyn tells her as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a plastic wrapper "I found it next to your trash can today when I was collecting the garbage for pick up."

Jade reaches out and takes the plastic from her, and immediately feels her entire face turn bright red as soon as she realizes its a condom wrapper.

"Shit..." She mutters

"Are you and Beck having sex?" Kaitlyn asks her, sitting down on the bed next to her daughter

"No, we just unwrap the condoms and throw them away for fun." Jade rolls her eyes, tossing the plastic wrapper into the trash can

"Jade."

"Fine, Mom. If you must know, then yes. Beck and I are having sex." Jade sighs "We've been having sex since our one year anniversary."

"Oh Jade..." Kaitlyn groans, rubbing her temple "You're fifteen."

"Beck is sixteen now." Jade reminds her "I'll be sixteen in a few months."

"That doesn't make it much better."

"We've been dating for almost two years." Jade says "And we love each other. Did you really think we'd stay celibate until we were married? You don't really have much room to talk."

Jade's parents met in college, and had her when they were twenty-one after only about a year of really knowing each other. They never got married, and split up before Jade was old enough to remember them ever being together.

"I thought you would be older." Kaitlyn tells her "At least old enough to drive a car."

"I will be soon."

"That's not the point." Kaitlyn shakes her head "God, Jade. I wish you would have come and talked to me about this. I could have-"

"Forbid me from seeing him ever again?"

"Don't be so dramatic." Kaitlyn rolls her eyes "I could have had a conversation with you, taught you how to be safe. I don't like that you felt you needed to go behind my back and sneak around."

"I'm sorry, Mom." Jade runs her hand through her hair again

"We're going to make you an appointment with a gynecologist." Kaitlyn says as she stands up "And I'm going to have to tell your father about it."

"Mom, no!" Jade exclaims "He'll kill us both!"

"Just about the appointment, not about the other part." Kaitlyn clarifies "That part can stay our secret for now. But I want you on birth control if you're going to be having sex."

"Mom..."

"Jade, listen to me." Kaitlyn rests her hands on her daughter's shoulders "I love you so much, but I would never wish the young parent thing on you. Ever. Especially still being in high school. And I don't want you to catch anything-"

"Beck doesn't have anything to catch."

"It's better to be safe than sorry."

"Alright, whatever." Jade shakes her head "It might not matter in a day or two anyways."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kaitlyn asks

"It means..." Jade hesitates "Beck kissed another girl today."

"Oh my god, sweetheart..." Kaitlyn says sympathetically as she pulls Jade into a hug

She understands now why her daughter was in an even more unpleasant mood than normal.

"It was for an acting exercise in class." Jade explains, letting a tear slip down her cheek "But he had the opportunity to get himself out of it and he chose not to take it."

"Jade, I'm so sorry..." Kaitlyn tucks a lock of her daughter's hair behind her ear "Was it that new girl you and Cat were talking about the other day?"

"That's the one." Jade nods "He did it without any hesitation, too."

"Have you talked to him at all since?"

"No, I've been too upset by it." Jade admits "I can't decide if I'm angry, or sad, or both...I just can't believe he would do something like that when he knows how much I don't like her."

"You should talk to him." Kaitlyn suggests "Not right now, if you're still too upset. But you should talk to him. Let him know how you're feeling. See if he had...I hate to say it, but a reason."

"I know I should." Jade nods as she brushes the tears away from her eyes "I do. But I kind of just want to sulk first."

"Then sulk." Kaitlyn smiles a bit as she rubs Jade's back "Do you want company? Or would you rather be alone?"

"Alone, please."

"Alright." Kaitlyn says as she stands up, kissing the top of Jade's head before heading for the door "I'll go get that appointment scheduled then, let me know if you change your mind."

* * *

It's after midnight when Jade's phone rings.

She had been fast asleep, her emotions having had exhausted her. Groggily, she rolls over and grabs her phone off of her nightstand, hitting the green button to answer the call.

"You had better have one hell of a reason for waking me up, Oliver."

"I know it's late. I'm sorry." Beck apologizes "But I needed to talk to you."

"We can talk tomorrow."

"I'm in your driveway."

"Beck..."

"I know you're upset with me." He tells her "And I understand why. But I can't go to sleep without talking to you."

"I'll be down in five minutes." Jade sighs, hanging up the phone before Beck can say anything else

She rolls out of bed and stumbles to her desk to switch on the lamp, providing a bit of illumination in the otherwise pitch black room. Still a bit disoriented, she pulls on the first sweatshirt she can find. It just happens to be one of Beck's, his green and blue lace-up Canuck's hoodie. For a moment she wants to smile, thinking about how this hoodie is one of his favorites and how much it meant to her that he let her take it, but then she remembers that she's mad at him and why she's mad too. Her want to smile disappears.

She's careful to be quiet as she sneaks down the hallway past her brother's room and past her parents', knowing that there will be a million questions if she gets caught. Tiptoeing down the stairs and across the foyer, she slips on a pair of flip flops by the door and steps out into the night air.

Beck is in the driveway, leaning against his new truck. Well, 'new' may be a generous term. It's very used, but his father had gotten it for cheap and the two of them had fixed it up together. When Beck turned sixteen and got his license, it became his.

"Hey." He smiles as she approaches him

He leans in to kiss her, but she pulls her head away.

"Alright, I deserved that." He nods

"You know how threatened I feel by her." Jade says flatly

"Jade, she's really not that bad."

"And that's the problem." Jade nods, already feeling defeated "You don't think she's that bad, but I've watched her try to steal you away from me twice now. And you gave in to her today."

"I didn't give into anything, Jade. I was acting." Beck sighs "I'm an actor. You can't co-star with me in every single project that I'm in. You're going to have to be okay with me kissing other girls, the same way I'm going to have to be okay with you kissing other guys."

"This wasn't some blockbuster movie, it was a stupid acting exercise." She reminds him "It wasn't that important."

"I had to continue with the letter L."

"Let's not, I have a girlfriend." She says flatly "Would that have really been so hard to say?"

"I'm sorry." He tells her, running a hand through his hair

"Are you?"

"I am." He nods "I wasn't thinking about how you might feel, and that was selfish of me. I only cared about the exercise."

"My mom wants to put me on birth control." Jade says suddenly

"Wait, what?"

"She found a condom wrapper in my room." She clarifies "Probably from last weekend when they took my brother to see Chris's parents and we had the house to ourselves, but that's besides the point. The point is, that birth control is no joke, Beck. And I don't want to completely change how my body's hormones work if you're just going to leave me for the transfer student."

"I'm not leaving you for the transfer student." Beck chuckles

"Don't laugh, this isn't funny."

"Sorry." He clears his throat "I'm not leaving you for Tori, Jade. She's not my type."

"Oh really?" Jade raises an eyebrow at him "And what is your type, exactly?"

"You." He tells her "Only you."

"And what if it turns out that Tori is just like me?"

"Impossible." He shakes his head "There's no one like you, there will never be anyone like you. I love you, Jade. I'm so sorry I hurt you."

"Don't do it again." She warns him as she wraps her arms around him, leaning in for a hug

"I won't." He promises as he rests his forehead against her's "I promise."

They make out for a while, leaning against his truck and not at all worried about anyone seeing them. It's the middle of the week and almost one in the morning, the chances of anyone seeing them are slim.

"Let's go for a drive." She says, finally breaking away from him

"Are you sure?" He smirks "It's kinda late...or kinda early I guess."

"Live a little." She laughs as she walks around to climb into the passenger's seat "You're already out after curfew."

Beck gets into the truck and starts it, backing down the driveway and pulling out of Jade's subdivision. Even though it's the middle of the night, there's still quite a few cars out on the streets of Los Angeles. All of the neon still shines brightly, illuminating the city of angels as the two teenagers drive around. Beck grabs Jade's left hand in his right almost immediately, lacing their fingers together and letting it rest on the center console as he drives.

He knew kissing Tori was wrong the minute that the bell rang and he saw Jade storm off, but only now does he realize the severity of what he could have lost. Looking over and seeing the smile on Jade's face as she talks to him, the way that she tries to hide the tiredness in her eyes as she leans against the window, her face illuminated by the lights on the street, he remembers how much he loves her. How much she means to him. How afraid he is to ever lose her.

"I'll never talk to Tori again." He offers "If that's what you want."

"No, don't do that." Jade sighs with a smirk "If you want to be friends with her...I shouldn't stop you. And I suppose the others seem to like her as well, for some reason. I don't think she'll be that easy to get rid of."

"Probably not." Beck chuckles "Cat already seems attached. But hey, it might be nice to have another girl around to even things out. Three of you and three of us. I bet she won't like it when we scream at our video games either. Who knows, you two might even end up friends."

"Well no one can compete with Cat." Jade reminds him "But maybe we will."

And eventually, Tori and Jade would end up friends. Nowhere near as close of friends as Cat and Jade, but friends. Tori would actually be responsible for helping Beck and Jade get back together the two times that they would break up in the following year. They would grow apart a bit as they grew older, but always remain friends.

But becoming friends with Tori is the furthest thing from Jade's mind right now, though. All of her attention is drawn to her phone, lighting up with her mother's face as it sits on her lap.

"Oh shit!" Jade exclaims "She knows I'm gone. What do I do?"

"Answer it!" Beck tells her as he turns the radio down "If you don't she might think something bad happened and call the police."

"Hello?" Jade answers

"Jade Danielle West." Kaitlyn's tone is harsh on the other end of the phone "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm with Beck." Jade sighs "We...went for a drive."

"You have ten minutes to get home or I'm coming to get you myself." Kaitlyn tells her, and then hangs up the phone.

"I'm dead." Jade says as she slips her phone into the pocket of her sweatshirt "She's going to kill me."

"It'll be fine." Beck assures her as he takes her hand again, pressing a kiss to her knuckles "I promise."

Jade's mother, step-father, and father are all waiting in the driveway when Beck pulls in. Jade offers to face them alone, but Beck cuts the truck's engine and climbs out as well.

"Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Mr. West, I'm so sorry." Beck immediately apologizes "This was all my idea."

"Don't lie for me." Jade shakes her head before turning to her parents "I was ignoring Beck so he drove over here to try and get me to talk to him, but going out for a drive was my idea."

"You both ought to be ashamed of yourselves." Jonathan West shakes his head "Jade, your mother called me frantic in the middle of the night because she couldn't find you. Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

"I'm sorry." Jade says quietly, looking down at her feet

"And you." He turns to Beck "What on earth are you doing showing up here in the middle of the night? On a school night nonetheless."

"I did a stupid thing, Mr. West. I-"

"Oh I heard all about the stupid thing you did." John cuts him off "And that alone should be enough to forbid my daughter from seeing you. I-"

"Dad, I told you that leaving was my idea." Jade tells him "Beck even tried to talk me out of it."

"I couldn't stand the idea of Jade being upset because of something that I did." Beck tells him "I hate that I hurt her. I couldn't sleep tonight unless I at least tried to fix it."

"And is it fixed?"

"It is." Beck and Jade both say in unison

"Beck, you should go home. It's late and you have school tomorrow." Kaitlyn tells him "But I'm going to be contacting your parents in the morning to let them know what happened."

"Of course." Beck nods "I, uh...goodnight everyone."

He turns to get back in his truck, passing Jade and squeezing her hand tightly before kissing her on the cheek. Everyone watches as he gets in and starts the engine, and Kaitlyn waits until he's fully out of sight before she speaks again.

"Get inside." She says "Right now."

"How did you even know I was gone?" Jade asks

"That doesn't matter." John tells her "You had us all worried sick about you. Not to mention up in the middle of the night in the middle of the work week trying to find you. No cell phone for a week."

"Fine." Jade says flatly. slamming the phone into her mother's already outstretched hand "I don't regret going though."

She's temped to stomp into the house and slam the door behind her, but she remembers that her brother is most likely still fast asleep and doesn't want to wake him. So she returns to her bedroom as quietly as she left it and crawls back into bed. She keeps the sweatshirt on though, even though she had originally gone to bed without it. It's the closest thing she has to being wrapped up in Beck's arms, and right now that's all she wants.

A few moments later, she hears her bedroom door open and rolls over to see her mother standing in the doorway.

"Mom?"

"Oh good, you're still awake." Kaitlyn says as she enters the room and sits down on the edge of the bed "I just wanted to tell you that you're not at all off the hook for tonight, but I'm happy that you and Beck made up."

"I am too."

"You really love him, don't you?"

"I do."

"Alright, you should get some sleep." Kaitlyn pats Jade's leg as she stands up "I'm not calling you out of first period because you decided to sneak out. Goodnight, Jade."

"Goodnight, Mom." Jade tells her "I love you."

"I love you too." Kaitlyn smiles "And by the way, you have an appointment with the gynecologist after school on Thursday."


	7. Canada

"I'd like you to meet my grandparents." Beck says to Jade one afternoon

They're in the RV working on homework, just the two of them. Recently they've discovered that alone time together, even if it's just working on homework, is something they need to prioritize. The end of their junior year is only a few months away now, and the past year had been quite the ride for them. Not only were they now both trying to juggle school with jobs and extracurriculars to enhance their college applications, but they had broken up and gotten back together twice in the past twelve months. Alone time is something that they need to take advantage of whenever they can.

"Sure." Jade nods, looking up from her textbook to make eye contact with him "Are they coming to visit?"

"No, actually." Beck tells her "My parents and I are planning to visit them the week of spring break, and I'd really like you to come with."

"To Canada?"

"Yes, to Canada." He laughs "C'mon, Jade. We've been together for what, almost three years now?"

"Give or take."

"And you've never met them." He finishes "You're the most important person in my life, I want them to meet you. And I want you to meet them. Not to mention I want to show you where I grew up. I know you're not too big on Canada, but I think you might really like it once you get there."

"Have you talked to your parents about it yet?" Jade sighs "I don't want to get to the morning of and find out we're having a repeat of the whole Cancun thing."

"I'm sorry about the whole Cancun thing." Beck apologizes "That was my mom's side of the family. This is my dad's."

"That's not what I asked you." She reminds him

"Yes, I've run it by my parents." He assures her "And they're cool with it. Well, at least my dad is. You know how my mom can be. But my mom gave her blessing."

"I'll talk to my mom about it." Jade tells him "Okay."

"Okay." He smiles, pecking her quickly on the lips "Thank you."

Jade doesn't bring it up to her mother immediately, she waits a few days for the moment when she feels that she's in the best mood. After all, a better mood will equal better results. Or at least that's usually how it works out.

"Beck's family invited me to go to Vancouver with them over spring break." She says to Kaitlyn a few nights later as she helps her with the dishes after dinner

"Just you?" Kaitlyn asks "No Cat or Tori or the boys?"

"No, just me." Jade clarifies "They're visiting Beck's grandparents, Mr. Oliver's parents, and Beck wants me to meet them."

"You haven't met his grandparents?" Kaitlyn raises an eyebrow at her "The way he talks about them, I figured they were super close."

"They are." Jade tells her "They just don't like to travel much. The whole international boarders thing makes them nervous, apparently."

"And Beck's parents are okay with you coming?"

"S'what he told me." Jade shrugs

"I'll have to talk to your father." Kaitlyn sighs "But I can't see why not."

"Really?"

"Like I said, I need to talk to your father."

Jade expects her father to fight her. With as on and off as she and Beck were for a while, he's grown hesitant of his daughter's boyfriend. But it takes almost little to no effort to convince him to give her permission. He even pays for her plane ticket.

"You should probably invest in a winter coat too." He warns her

"I should?"

"It's a lot colder in Canada than it is in Los Angeles, Jade." He sighs "Especially in March."

"How much colder?"

* * *

"Cold?" Beck chuckles as Jade clings to his arm, snuggling as close as she can to him

They're standing with Priya in the car rental parking garage at Vancouver International Airport. James had gone to find the car they had been assigned for the week, leaving the rest of them at the check-in desk. Beck has both his and Jade's bags slung over his right shoulder, and moves his left arm to wrap it around her shoulders. Despite being dressed in boots, jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and her new winter coat, Jade is still shocked at how cold she is.

"Shut up." She shivers

She's never experienced a temperature colder than 60º Fahrenheit before. She's lived in Los Angeles her entire life and if her family ever vacationed anywhere, it was in the summer when it was warm everywhere else too.

"Just be happy there's no snow on the ground right now." Beck tells her "That would mean it's even colder."

"Don't even get me started." Jade sighs "How cold is it anyways?"

"Uh..." Beck fishes his phone out of his pocket with his free hand to check his weather app "This says it's six degrees celcius right now. Which would mean roughly forty-two degrees fahrenheit to your little american brain."

"Oh my god..." Jade groans "I don't know how you're not wearing a heavier coat right now."

"I grew up here." Beck reminds her "I'm used to this. It feels like a typical spring day."

"Typical?"

"Aren't you the one who's been throwing around the idea of going to college in New York?" Beck chuckles "You know it'll get cold like this out there too, right? Even colder at times."

This causes Priya to laugh, a reaction that both Beck and Jade choose to ignore.

"At least then I would get there in August when the weather is still warm." Jade tells her boyfriend "Then my body will be able to gradually adjust to it as the temperature gradually starts to change."

"Assuming the change is gradual." Beck reminds her "Global warming has made the weather real weird the past few years."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't remind me."

A car horn echoes through the garage as James pulls up to the curb in a grey Hyundai Santa Fe. He puts the car in park and turns the hazards on before hopping out to help Beck load their bags into the trunk. Jade offers to help, but Beck advises her to get straight into the warm car instead.

"Not quite what you were expecting?" Priya says to Jade from the passenger's seat

"No not really." Jade admits "Not in a bad way, though. It's just going to take a little while to get used to.

Beck climbs into the backseat and sits directly behind his mother, while Jade opts to take the middle seat next to him so they can still be close to one another. James closes the trunk and gets into the driver's seat, putting the car in gear and driving out of the garage.

Jade learns that Beck's grandparents, as well as Beck and his parents when they lived in Canada, live not in the city of Vancouver itself, but in a smaller town about forty-ish minutes or so to the east called Maple Ridge.

"Those mountains are so pretty." Jade smiles as she leans her head against Beck's shoulder

"Those are the Coastal Mountains." Beck tells her "My dad and I hiked them once when I was a kid. Do you remember that, Dad?"

"I do." James chuckles "You would have camped up there for a week if I had let you."

"I was an outdoorsy kid."

"You still are." James smiles back at him in the rearview mirror "You hike much, Jade?"

"On a very rare occasion." Jade tells him "I much prefer a walk along the beach instead."

They talk for the rest of the drive. Beck tells Jade stories about his childhood, and points out different landmarks to her along the way. Occasionally James will chime in to fill in some details, but Priya remains mostly silent.

Eventually, James pulls the car into a driveway of a two-story house in what reminds Jade a lot of the subdivision she lives in back in Los Angeles. She doesn't know why she expected Canada to look much different from America, especially when Vancouver isn't that far north of the Washington border.

"Go on in and introduce Jade." James says to Beck "I'll bring the bags in."

"You sure you don't want any help?" Beck offers

"I'm sure." He nods "Go ahead."

Beck smiles as he takes Jade's hand in his, leading her up the front walk towards the door to the house. He tries the doorknob and seems surprised to find it unlocked, but pushes the door open and leads her into the house.

"Hello?" He calls out as he closes the door behind him and then turns to Jade to help her take off her coat "Anyone home?"

"Beck? Is that you?"

A smile spreads across Beck's face at the mention of his name. He shrugs his own coat off and hangs it on a hook by the door along with Jade's, then kicks off his boots and leaves them by the door. Jade takes notice and takes off her own shoes, flashing her boyfriend an uneasy smile as she lets him lead her down the hallway to the kitchen.

"Grandma? Grandpa?"

"I knew that was you!" An older woman, Jade is assuming Beck's grandmother, exclaims as she makes her way across the kitchen to them "My oh my, Beckett James. You get more and more handsome every time that I see you."

"Thanks, Gram." Beck smiles "It's good to see you."

"You too, sweetheart." She tells him as she wraps her grandson up in a hug "Oh, and who's this?"

"Gram, this is my girlfriend, Jade." Beck grins, wrapping an arm around Jade's waist "Jade West, meet Susan Oliver. Or Gram, as I call her."

"Nice to meet you, dear." Susan smiles as she extends a hand to shake Jade's "And I knew your name, don't worry. I just wanted my grandson to be polite and introduce us."

"Nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Oliver." Jade chuckles

"Oh no, no need for that 'Mrs. Oliver' crap." Susan tells her "You can call his mother that. Call me Susan. Or Grandma. Or Gram. Whatever you're most comfortable with."

"Alright...Gram?"

"There you go." Susan smiles "Why don't you take her out into the garage, Beck? I think your grandfather is out there messing around with something."

"C'mon, this way?" Beck nods down another hallway

He leads her to a door, which opens up into the garage. There's an older man in jeans and a hoodie, examining what looks to be like some kind of engine.

"Hey Grandpa." Beck says to him as he steps down into the garage, then turns back to Jade "You can come down here without shoes, its okay."

"Beck!" The man exclaims "Look at how tall you've gotten!"

"I haven't grown since Christmas, Grandpa."

"I beg to differ." He smirks, ruffling Beck's hair "Cut this hair, it's getting too long."

"I like it this length."

"Sure you do." He man rolls his eyes "Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners? You must be Jade. I'm Charlie Oliver, nice to meet ya."

"Nice to meet you too." Jade smiles as she shakes his hand "What are you working on?"

"Lawnmower engine." Charlie tells her "Warm weather will be here soon and then the grass'll start growing again. Gotta make sure it's in proper working order."

"Need any help?" Beck offers

"Maybe later, kiddo." Charlie reaches out and squeezes Beck's shoulder "You kids should be in the house where it's warm right now."

The three of them re-enter the house to find Beck's parents in the kitchen talking to Susan.

"There you two are." James smiles "Showing Jade around, Beck?"

"A bit, yeah."

"I put your bags by the door." James tells him "You can-"

"You'll be sleeping in separate bedrooms." Priya cuts her husband off "Beck, you'll take the guest bedroom down the hall, and Jade you'll take Beck's old room upstairs. There will be no sneaking around in the middle of the night, do you understand?"

"Jesus, Priya." Susan sighs "They're good kids, they'll behave."

"Do you understand?" Priya repeats

"Yes, Mrs. Oliver."

"We got it, Ma."

They spend the rest of the afternoon catching up and sharing stories about what Beck's family has been up to since the last time they saw each other. Susan does her very best to make Jade feel welcome and included, knowing how nerve-wracking it can be to meeting a partner's family for the first time, but also knowing how...resilient her son's wife can be at times. They look at old photo albums, compare pictures of Beck and his father when they were around the same age. Jade loves to see her boyfriend be so...himself and so comfortable around his family. If it's possible, she thinks she might love him even more after seeing how much he loves his grandparents.

Sleeping that night is difficult for her though. The bed isn't uncomfortable or anything like that, the room isn't casting any weird shadows, and she feels fine. She just can't seem to fall asleep. It's always hard for her to sleep her first night in a new environment, regardless of what that environment is. No matter what she does, she can't seem to fall asleep.

Jade knows that waking Beck isn't an option. Even if she's quiet, she just knows that Priya will find out about it somehow and have her sent home on the first flight in the morning. But she can't stay in bed any longer, or she'll go crazy. So she slips quietly out the door and down the hallway to the staircase, making her way to the first floor.

She goes into the kitchen and grabs a glass out of one of the cabinets, filling it with water before taking a sip and leaning against the counter.

"Can't sleep?"

Jade is so startled by the voice she almost drops the glass on the floor. Thankfully she doesn't, but she does spill a bit of water down the front of her shirt.

"I'm sorry." Priya apologizes "I didn't mean to startle you."

"S'alright." Jade assures her as she grabs the dishtowel off the counter and attempts to pat her shirt dry "I swear I wasn't trying to sneak into Beck's room or anything. I was just having a hard time sleeping and thought some water might help."

"I believe you."

"You do?"

"I do."

"Can you not sleep either?" Jade asks, walking over to the kitchen table where Priya is sitting

"I'm afraid that's the case, yes." Priya sighs "I always have a hard time sleeping when we're here. They just keep the house so hot."

Jade doesn't actually feel that the temperature within the house is uncomfortable at all, but she doesn't dare comment on that.

"You're naturally very pretty, Jade." Priya tells her "Has anyone ever told you that?"

This is the first time she's ever seen her son's girlfriend without any of her dark makeup or piercings in. Her face is completely bare and she has her hair tied up away from it in a ponytail.

"Well, I mean..."

"I'm sure my son has, hasn't he?"

"He has." Jade nods

"He really loves you, you know."

"I do know." Jade assures her "And I really love him. I know that the whole 'teenagers in love thing' doesn't mean much to a lot of adults, but we really do love each other."

"I know." Priya sighs "I can see it in the way you two look at each other. Even when you were broken up for those few months, you were still shooting hearts out of your eyes at every glance."

"We've worked out the issues that caused us to break up." Jade tells her "I promise. I would never ever do anything to hurt your son."

"I know you wouldn't."

"So why do you..." Jade hesitates "Never mind."

"Why do I what, dear?"

"I was going to ask why you still don't like me."

"It's not that I dislike you, Jade." Priya says "I just love my son. And you're the first person I've ever feared he might love more than he loves me or his father."

"Mrs. Oliver, I'm not trying to steal him away from you or anything like that. You're his mom, he'll always love you."

"I'm coming to terms with that. I'm really trying to be more open to it, especially since you two have been together for so long." Priya tells her "And you've grown on me...a bit."

"But not enough for you to really like me."

"Be honest with me, Jade. Do you like me?"

"Not entirely." Jade answers her honestly "You haven't really made it easy for me to do so though."

"You haven't made it easy for me to do so either, Jade." Priya chuckles "Admit it or not, you have quite the strong attitude sometimes."

"It's something I'm working on." Jade admits "I know I can't get away with acting like that forever."

"Well maybe we can both work on it." Priya suggests "With being nicer to each other, that is. For Beck."

"I would do anything for Beck."

"As would I." Priya nods "And that's one thing we have in common. It's a good place to start."

The two women have no idea, but Beck has overheard their entire conversation. He woke up needing to use the bathroom, but stopped in the hallway to listen in when he heard voices coming from the kitchen. His mother and his girlfriend actually having a civil conversation without any bickering or eye-rolling brings a smile to his face. He wants them to get along, he likes where the conversation is going.

* * *

"Put your coat on." Beck tells Jade "I want to show you something."

They had been in the living room, watching a movie with his grandparents while his parents were out with some friends. Both Susan and Charlie had fallen asleep in their respective chairs, and Beck saw an opportunity.

Jade follows him out of the room and into the front hallway, slipping on her boots and coat just as Beck does. She's confused, however, when instead of opening the front door, he heads upstairs instead.

"What are you doing?" She asks him

"Just trust me."

She follows him into his old bedroom, the one she had been sleeping in the past few nights, and watches as he plays with the latch on the window. He slides the window up, opening it as far as it will go, and slips one leg out.

"Are you insane?" Jade exclaims "You'll fall."

"No I won't." Beck smirks as he steps out fully on to the roof "I've been doing this my whole life."

He offers a hand to her and she reluctantly takes it, climbing out onto the roof the same way that he had. They both sit down immediately, and move forward a couple of inches.

"See?" Beck smiles as he wraps an arm around her "We're fine."

"Okay cool, we're on the roof. Big whoop."

"Look up." He tells her

Jade rolls her eyes, but then realizes why Beck as brought her out here as soon as she looks up. The night sky is full of millions of stars, so many more than she's ever been able to see in Los Angeles.

"Remember on our first date when I told you the stars in LA just weren't the same?"

"I remember." Jade nods "I get it now, they're all so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

"Cheesy, but I appreciate it."

"I heard you talking to my mom the other night." Beck tells her "In the kitchen?"

"You did?" Jade blushes "I didn't think you were-"

"It meant a lot." He cuts her off "I know it's been hard for you two to get along, but it means a lot that you're still willing to try to get there for me."

"Yeah, well don't get your hopes up too far. It's only been a few days."

"It still means a lot." He assures her "Thank you."

"...you're welcome."

"And thanks for coming on this trip with me as well." He smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear "I know you had your reservations about Canada."

"S'not so bad, I guess." Jade smirks "And your grandparents are really nice."

"They really like you." He informs her "My grandma tells me every time you leave the room."

"I love them."

"That makes me so happy." Beck admits "But...not as happy as you do."

"You're such a dork." Jade rolls her eyes "Just shut up and kiss me."


	8. Impending Adulthood

_**Hi everyone! Happy holidays! I apologize for my irregular updates on this story so far. I went on vacation right after I uploaded the first few chapters, and then the holidays made things kind of hectic. I think now I'm caught up to where I wanted to be update-wise and the updates will be more regular now. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, and I can't wait to show you guys what's next for Beck and Jade as they start to grow up a little bit more.**_

* * *

Jade can barely contain her excitement as she pulls her car into Beck's driveway and cuts the engine. He hears her car door slam shut and peaks out the window to make sure it's really her, then jumps to his feet and runs to meet her at the door to the RV.

"I've missed you so much." Beck admits as he swings the door open

"I've missed you too." She sighs, falling comfortably into his arms "Now shut up and kiss me."

Jade had just been away for a week, traveling the east coast with her parents to tour different colleges. They visited so many in such a short amount of time she could barely keep them all straight, but she was able to determine that she for sure did not want to stay in Los Angeles to go to school. The trip had really spoken to her.

"Tell me everything." Beck smiles as he pulls her into the RV and closes the door behind them "I want to hear all about it."

"Well, we started in North Carolina and visited Duke." Jade tells him as she flops down on his bed "The campus is _beautiful, _Beck. Like, so pretty. I'd be eligible for a lot of scholarships too, so that's something to keep in mind."

"Well having options is good." Beck reminds her

"Says the guy only applying to one school."

Beck has his heart set on attending The Juilliard School in New York City. He's not even applying to any other colleges.

"If I don't get in, then it's a sign from the universe I don't need to go to school as in order to be successful in the industry."

"I still think that's very flawed logic, but whatever." Jade sighs "Then we went north to Pittsburgh and visited Carnegie Mellon, which was a very quick tour because we caught another flight that same day and went on to New York. And we spent like four days there sightseeing and everything, and visited Columbia, NYU, and AMDA."

"So where do you think you're going next fall?" Beck asks her "Preferably one of those last three."

"Oh, I don't know yet." Jade chuckles "First I have to apply and see where I even get in. But I think there's a lot I still need to consider."

"I'll give you something to consider." Beck smirks, climbing into bed next to her "You and me, in our own apartment somewhere in the middle of New York City. I'm going to Juilliard, you're going to...one of those New York schools that you mentioned. We go to bed together every night, and wake up next to each other every morning..."

"Mhmm...tempting." Jade tells him, grabbing his hand and lacing his fingers together with her own "But I can't let you be the sole determining factor in where I go to school. It's not practical."

"Screw practical."

"Beck."

"I know, I know." Beck sighs "You're right. This is your decision, not mine."

"Thank you." She smiles a bit "And while we're on the topic of making decisions..."

"What is it?"

"I think you should apply to some other schools besides Juilliard." Jade admits "I'm not saying you won't get in there! That's not what I'm saying at all. But while we're on the topic of being safe and practical, I think the safe and practical thing to do would be to find at least one other school."

"Jade, Juilliard has the best performing arts program in the country." Beck reminds her "That's the only place for me."

"Not anymore they don't."

"What are you talking about?"

"Juilliard is number three now." Jade informs him "Didn't you read those pamphlets Lane gave us about the top ten schools?"

"I never read anything Lane gives us." Beck says "Who are number one and number two then?"

"Northwestern in Chicago and Columbia in New York."

"So, do you think I should apply to those schools?"

"You can do whatever you want, babe." Jade sighs, rubbing her temples "I just thought you should get your facts straight if you think that the only reason you should go to Juilliard is because it's the best in the country."

Beck gets up from the bed and goes over to his desk, moving a bunch of things around in order to find his laptop.

"Noooo..." Jade groans "Come back over here, I haven't seen you in a week and I want to cuddle!"

"It really is number three now..." Beck sighs as he pulls up a webpage "Maybe I _should_ apply to all three."

"Well, that's a better plan than just applying to one." Jade agrees

At least if he doesn't get into Juilliard, he would still have options. Not that she doesn't think he'll get in, he's incredibly talented and deserves to get in. But she knows how selective these schools can be, and the difference between acceptance and rejection can be as small as a missing coma on an application essay or 0.001 of a GPA point.

"I'll have to do some research tonight." Beck admits, closing his laptop again "But right now, you and I have a week's worth of lost time to make up for."

"Thank god." Jade smirks, stretching her arms out to him "Get back over here and kiss me again."

* * *

"At least you got him off of that only applying to one school and one school only thing." Cat reminds Jade "At least now he has options."

"Yeah, at least." Jade sighs "Where have you guys applied to so far?"

They're hanging out together just the three of them at Tori's. It's a long weekend so Robbie and Beck had both gone out of town with their parents on college visits, Robbie to visit schools in New York and Beck to visit Northwestern in Chicago. Andre had been invited to join them, but had to pick up an extra shift at work that night. Tori's parents have people over, so the three girls ordered a pizza and locked themselves in her bedroom, which they were more than content with at the moment.

"Columbia, Indiana University, Northwestern and UCLA." Tori tells her, not looking up from the magazine spread out on the floor in front of her

"Emory, Vassar, Boston, NYU, Juilliard, and USC." Cat adds "Robbie is applying to Columbia too, Tori."

"Oh really? That's cool." Tori smiles "Hey, what's going on with you two?"

"Yeah, what _is_ going on with you two?" Jade asks, narrowing her eyes at her best friend

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cat admits, snatching the magazine from in front of Tori and pretending to read one of the articles

"Spill it, Cat." Jade tells her, snatching the magazine away "You're not fooling anyone."

"Alright, fine." Cat sighs "We're...kinda of dating."

"I knew it." Jade smirks, throwing the magazine back at her "How could you not tell us? I mean I understand not telling Tori, but how could you not tell _me_?"

"It's still new." Cat informs them "We didn't want to say anything until we were sure it's going to last at least a little while."

"Well, you're not great at being subtle." Tori chuckles

"Don't say anything to Beck or Andre yet." Cat begs "Please."

"Fine, we won't." Jade promises her "But if you two keep holding hands under the lunch table, they'll notice eventually."

"You saw that?" Cat blushes

"Of course I saw it, I sit right next to you every single day."

"They do it during study hall in the library too." Tori adds

"See?" Jade laughs "You're not subtle."

"Tori and Andre flirt with each other all the time!"

"We're not talking about me right now, Cat. We're talking about you." Tori laughs

"I don't know what else there is to talk about." Cat admits "You already know we're dating."

The playful teasing continues on for a little while more, but eventually the conversation shifts from boys back to college. Even though they feel like almost every conversation they've had lately has been about college, they can't stop themselves from discussing it.

"It's just a little fucked up, you know?" Tori admits "We still need permission to leave class to go to the bathroom right now, and in less than a year they expect us to know exactly what we want to do with out entire life and bankrupt ourselves in order to do so."

"That's why we need to apply for scholarships." Jade reminds her "Even though they won't give us as much as we need."

"Easy for you to say, your dad is a lawyer."

"Don't fight, guys." Cat begs "Please."

"We're not fighting." Tori assures her

"Yeah, this is not fighting." Jade agrees "But there's just so much to consider when you pick a school. How much money will they give you? Do you like the campus? Is the program good? Is-"

"Is Beck within twenty minutes of me?" Cat finishes for her

"That's not on my radar at all."

"That's a lie." Tori says "It might not be a deciding factor, but I get the feeling it's a contributing factor."

"I refuse to be one of those girls who lets her boyfriend be the deciding factor in every major life decision that she makes." Jade tells them "You guys know me better than that."

"So you're actually considering going to Duke or Carnegie Mellon even though that would mean there's a possibility of having to do long distance?"

"Well Carnegie Mellon is out now." Jade informs them "I want the option for a performance studies minor and they don't offer it. But Duke is still an option. And technically any school I apply to gives us the possibility of a long distance relationship. Beck is in _Chicago_ right now visiting a school, and from what he's texted me he seems impressed."

"All I'm saying is that if he finds out you picked a school in New York, it wouldn't shock me if he does too."

"That's why we're not telling each other what schools we picked until after we've both committed." Jade tells them "That way we can't influence each other's decisions."

"That's not a bad idea." Cat admits "Let's all do that. We can have a commitment announcement party in the spring!"

"Only you would suggest something like that." Jade rolls her eyes

"I think it's a good idea." Tori agrees with Cat "I bet we could get the boys on board."

"Well, looks like its happening then." Jade sighs "Although I doubt Cat will be able to keep a secret that long."

"Oh I'll be able to."

"You know 'not telling anyone' means not telling Robbie, right?" Tori asks her

"Well..." Cat hesitates "Now I do."

* * *

"You've got all of your paperwork turned in?" Jade asks Beck as she collects pens from his desk

"I do." Beck nods "One hundred percent committed. Do you have all of your stuff turned in?"

"One hundred percent committed." Jade assures him

When he applied Beck had gotten in to all three colleges he had on his radar, leaving him with plenty of options. Jade applied to Duke, NYU, Columbia, and AMDA, and also got in to all of them. They stayed true to the pact they made with each other and with their friends, when they made their commitments they only told their parents and no one else.

"Jade, I have to be honest." Beck sighs "I don't think you're going to like the choice I made."

"Are _you_ happy with your choice?" She asks him

"I am."

"Well then..." She walks over and kisses him softly on the lips "I'm happy as long as you are."

She knows that he must have chosen Northwestern. If he had picked Columbia or Juilliard, he wouldn't have said that because it leaves open the possibility that she also chose a school in New York and they could go there together. There's a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as their friends start arriving to the RV, she always knew there was a possibility of this happening but it didn't feel real until just now.

"Alright, so here's how this will work..." Beck explains as Jade passes out pens to everyone "Write your name and the school you picked on the card, fold it up, and put it in the bowl. Then we'll pass it around and everyone can pick someone's and read it."

"We're not reading our own?" Tori asks

"We have to make it interesting somehow." Andre shrugs, uncapping his pen and scribbling his information down on his card before tossing it into the bowl Beck set on the ground

Once everyone has written down their schools and placed their cards into the bowl, Robbie grabs it from the middle and selects a card before passing it to his friends so they can do the same.

"So, who goes first?" Tori asks

"Dunno." Beck shrugs "Which one of us has the closest birthday?"

"Next closest or closest in general?" Cat asks "Because closest in general is me, but next closest is Tori."

"Let's do next closest, that seems logical."

"Alright." Tori nods, opening the card she had selected to read it "Cat is going to Juilliard."

"That's amazing, Cat!" Jade grins "I'm so excited for you!"

"Thanks." Cat smiles as Robbie kisses her on the cheek "I'm really excited too!"

"Cat, read yours now."

"Okay." Cat smiles "Uh...Andre is going to NYU! We'll be in New York together!"

"Sweet!" Andre chuckles, opening his own card "Oh, no way! Jade, you're going to NYU too?"

"I am." Jade laughs

At least if she won't have Beck, she'll have Andre and Cat around. Of the group she's known the two of them the longest, and they'll get to continue their journeys together on the east coast.

She opens the card she had pulled from the bowl, praying that Beck's name will be on it so that the suspense can finally be over and she can just begin dealing with the fact that there's a long distance relationship waiting for her in the future. Unfortunately, she'll have to wait a bit longer.

"Tori is going to Columbia." She reads the card, then turns it around for the others to see "Another fellow New Yorker."

"That's just too crazy." Beck shakes his head, turning his own card around for everyone to see "Robbie is going to Columbia too."

"I thought we said we were keeping our choices a secret from everyone!" Tori exclaims "How did we all end up picking schools in the same city."

"Divine intervention, I suppose." Andre shrugs

"Wait, wait, wait." Jade cuts in "We're not done yet. Robbie, read Beck's card."

"He's going to Juilliard." Robbie tells her, turning Beck's card around

"He is?" Jade is surprised as she turns to Beck "You are?"

"I am." Beck nods "Is that alright?"

"Of course it is." Jade gasps "But, you just said your choice would make me unhappy so I was expecting you to pick Northwestern."

"I figured it would make you unhappy because I didn't branch out from my original plan."

"As long as you were able to pick a school that you liked and you're happy with your choice, I couldn't be any happier." Jade smiles as she cups his face in her hands and kisses him "We're going to New York together!"

"We're all going to New York together!" Cat exclaims "This is going to be so much fun!"

"It's for sure the start of an awesome adventure." Andre grins

* * *

"Alright kids, look here!" Kaitlyn says as she opens the camera app on her phone "Everyone say 'New York'!"

"NEW YORK!" The group of teenagers exclaim as they all smile for the photograph

They're all clad in red graduation caps and gown, standing in the lobby of the auditorium at Hollywood Arts. Their senior year had drawn to a close, and they had all just received the diplomas to prove it.

"It looks awesome, you guys." Kaitlyn smiles down at her phone "Thanks!"

The group of friends split off to take other pictures either with friends or with their families, but Beck and Jade stay together side by side in the crowd of people.

"Remember when you were nervous about not getting in here?" He teases her, taking both of her hands in his

"Yeah yeah." She rolls her eyes "Don't remind me."

"If only we knew then what we know now." He laughs

"I think I kind of liked not knowing." Jade admits "It made everything more fun. I mean, who knew I'd still be stuck with you four years later."

"I think deep down I knew." Beck tells her "I have a feeling you're going to be stuck with me for the rest of your life."

"Is that a promise?" Jade smirks

"Could be." Beck shrugs, pulling her in closer to him and wrapping his arms around her waist "I'm looking forward to seeing what New York has in store for us."

"Me too." Jade grins, looking up at him "I love you, Beck."

"I love you too." Beck tells her as he kisses her "I always will."


	9. New York Living

The group of friends try not to rely so much on each other once they move to the city. They know that one of the most important parts of college is branching out and meeting new people in order to make new connections, so they try their best not to crowd each other. This isn't that difficult at first, with all of them being at different schools. Even though they're paired up with a high school friend at their universities, both individuals are studying in different majors. Beck studies acting while Cat studies music, Tori studies music education while Robbie studies creative writing, and Andre studies music while Jade studies drama. In the first few weeks of school they all meet new people and fall into new friend groups, but still make time at least once a week for the six of them to get together and either share a meal or a cup of coffee somewhere in the city. Cat and Jade still see each other frequently though, it's not that difficult. Juilliard requires all first year students to live in their on-campus residence hall, so whenever Jade visits Beck she's almost guaranteed to see Cat as well and vice versa.

The residence halls at Juilliard are made up entirely of apartment-style suites. Each suite has three double rooms and two single rooms along with two and a half bathrooms and a kitchenette, and houses eight students. Beck was fortunate enough to be the first one of his roommates to arrive on move-in day, and claimed one of the single rooms for himself. After having his own privacy in the RV for so long he wanted to make sure he was able to maintain it, especially when Jade is around. Which is proving to be quite often.

She normally sleeps in her own dorm during the week, it makes it easier for her to get to class on time and is closer to her job that she got waitressing just a block or so off campus. On the weekends when she has more time on her hands however, she usually opts to stay with Beck in his room. It gives them the opportunity to have time together, and gives her roommate the opportunity to have her own boyfriend over for some alone time just the two of them as well.

"Don't go to work." Beck groans, wrapping his arms tighter around Jade's waist

"I gotta." She chuckles, breaking free of his grip and crawling out of bed "Do you see my shirt anywhere?"

"If you can't find it, does it mean you can stay?" Beck asks her hopefully

"Here it is." Jade picks the top half of her uniform up off of the floor and pulls it over her head

She grabs her black jeans off the floor too and puts them on before reaching for her black work shoes as well.

"Don't go." Beck tells her again as he hugs her from behind "Let's just stay in bed all day."

"I have to go to work if I want to have money to have any kind of fun at all." Jade reminds him, spinning around so that they're face to face "I'll be back around dinner time and then we can spend the whole night together in bed."

"Promise?"

"Promise." She nods

The two share a kiss and then Jade turns to leave. Beck once again tries to convince her to stay, but she only rolls her eyes as she walks out of his bedroom and closes the door behind her.

"Another wild night?" One of Beck's roommates chuckles from his place on the couch

"A better night than you had." Jade rolls her eyes as she walks through the suite's shared living room space "Tell me, Gavin. When are you and your hand planning on getting married?"

The rest of Beck's roommates burst into a chorus of laughter as Jade smirks and makes her way out of the suite. A few of them also have serious girlfriends, one even has a serious boyfriend, but out of all of them Jade definitely stays the night most frequently. She's built up a friendly rapport with Beck's seven other suite mates, but isn't afraid to give them shit and put them in their place when she needs to.

The commute from the Juilliard neighborhood to the NYU neighborhood is only about twenty minutes by bus or by taxi, and half an hour by subway. It wasn't hard for Jade to find a decent job near campus either, but then again she wasn't necessarily being that picky. Her parents are paying her tuition, which thankfully the scholarships she earned almost cut in half, which includes her housing costs right now, but they told her she was on her own for anything she needs outside of that. She doesn't mind, she expected that. And it's not like she's alone. Cat and Tori also found jobs waitressing, and Andre found work as an usher at a theater in the East Village.

Jade enters the cafe where she works and heads immediately to the back to clock in and place her bag in her locker. She grabs her apron and closes the locker, locking it up tight, before tying the apron tightly around her waist and heading back out to the front.

"I'm here." She tells her manager as she appears beside her "Where do you want me?"

"Take the same section you had yesterday." The manager tells her "They just sat someone at table sixteen."

Jade looks over and sees a boy about her age sitting at the table in question. He has his laptop set up on the table and a textbook open on his lap. She recognizes him from class, or at least she thinks she does, and hopes it will be an easy interaction.

"Hey there." She greets him as she approaches the table "I'm Jade. Can I get you anything?"

"Uh, an iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel would be great." The boy says without looking up from his computer "And a slice of the vanilla coffee cake if you- hey. I know you."

"You do?"

"Yeah, you go to NYU, don't you?" He asks her "You're in my Theatre Studies class."

"Yeah, sure." Jade nods "9:00 with Dr. Webber?"

"Yeah!" The boy grins "You always sit in the back with that one girl."

"Tess." Jade tells him "She's my roommate."

"Gotcha. Well, I'm Connor."

"Nice to meet you, Connor." Jade says as she pulls out her notepad "And if I'm remembering correctly, you said you wanted an iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel and a slice of the vanilla coffee cake."

"That's right, babe."

"Alright..." Jade hesitates at his choice of words before turning to put the order in at the counter "Iced caramel macchiato and a slice of vanilla coffee cake for here, please."

"You know that guy?" One of the other waitresses asks her

"Apparently we have class together." Jade shrugs as the barista hands her Conner's drink "I don't really _know_ him."

"He's making flirty eyes at you."

"Of course he is." Jade rolls her eyes, grabbing Connor's drink and plate and heading back to his table "Here you go. If you need anything else, just let me know. Good luck with the studying."

"Wait." Connor grabs her hand as she turns to leave, and Jade immediately pulls it away "When do you get off?"

"I just clocked in." Jade tells him "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other customers."

"Wait." He grabs her hand again, and she pulls it away a second time

"Stop touching me." She warns him

"Sorry." He apologizes "Would you maybe want to grab dinner later?"

"No, I would not." Jade says flatly

"Why not?"

"Because I have a boyfriend." She tells him "And I know you're not interested in hanging out just as friends."

"How serious of a boyfriend could he be?" Conner chuckles "This is what, the sixth week of school?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but we've been together for four years." Jade informs him "Five in December. Now like I said, I have other tables."

"Bitch." Connor mutters as she walks away

Under normal circumstances Jade would turn around and throw his drink at him, but that would probably get her fired and she needs to keep this job if she wants to be able to afford...well anything. Instead she chooses to ignore him and moves on to the next table, taking the customer's order and bringing it back to the counter.

"Want me to take table sixteen from you?" The other waitress asks her

"Yes please." Jade says thankfully as she rips Connor's order out of her notebook and hands it to her "And if he orders anything else, feel free to spit in it."

* * *

"You're sure these are legit?" Tori asks Cat as she hands her a fake ID "I really don't feel like getting arrested tonight."

"Of course they're legit." Cat sighs "I wouldn't be giving it to you if it wasn't."

"Jessica Waters." Jade chuckles as she examines her ID "Clever."

"Almost as clever as Brad Owens." Beck smirks, showing her his own fake ID

There's a karaoke bar in the East Village that the group of friends had been dying to visit since they first moved to the city. Unfortunately, it's twenty-one and up only, and the six eighteen year-olds had no way of getting in. At least not until Cat met a classmate who used his graphic design talents to make fake IDs as a side hustle. For a price, he was able to make one for each of the six of them.

"They're going to look at it funny because its an out-of-state license." Cat tells them "Don't freak out. If you freak out, they'll start to question you and that's how you'll get caught."

"So stay calm, Robbie." Andre chuckles

"Hey!"

"Aw, baby it's okay." Cat rubs his arm sympathetically "Your nervousness makes you cute. But seriously, when the bouncer checks your ID stay calm."

"I'll do my best." Robbie promises as Cat kisses him on the cheek

The group of friends splits up into two different taxis and meets outside the bar. There's a line to get in but it appears to be moving rather quickly so they gather at the end of it, hoping to eventually get in without any issues.

It's autumn now so the weather is getting colder, especially at night. Jade leans up against Beck and he takes the hint to wrap an arm around her, pulling her close to keep her warm.

"You're coming back with me tonight, right?" He asks her

"It's Saturday, isn't it?" She smirks

"Well yeah. I just wanted to double check." He clarifies "Wasn't sure if you wanted to spend the night at Cat's or something."

"No offense to Cat or anything, but I can't have sex with her." Jade chuckles

"No, you certainly cannot." Cat agrees, having overheard their conversation

Thankfully the bouncers are trying to keep the line moving until the bar reaches its capacity, so they barely pay any attention to the IDs. As long as they say that they're twenty-one or older, they get in just fine.

Once inside, everyone puts their name on the list to sing and then heads to the bar. Beck has drank a few times, he and Andre became quite skilled at stealing cans from Andre's uncle when they were in high school, and every once and a while his dad would allow him to have one when his mom wasn't around. Jade is less experienced with alcohol though. Her father allows her to have half a glass of champagne at Christmas Eve dinner, but never any more than that. Not to mention she's never really had much of an interest in drinking anyways.

"What do you want?" Beck asks her, after ordering a beer for himself

"I dunno." Jade shrugs "I've never ordered a drink before, I always just drink whatever my dad hands me."

"Try a vodka lemonade." Beck suggests, turning to the bartender "We'll take a vodka lemonade too, please."

"That's just vodka and lemonade, right?"

"Yup." Beck nods "Super easy, a great drink for beginners."

"How do you know that?"

"Just trust me." He winks as the bar tender hands him the drink "Here ya go. Bottoms up."

The drink is strong, definitely stronger than anything Jade has ever had before, but its not bad. She might even say that she likes it. She loops her arm around Beck's at smiles at him as the two of them take their drinks over to the table that Robbie and Cat had claimed for them all.

They all get the chance to sing at least twice before the bar starts to get more crowded, and then the boys bow out. They know that the waiting list is just going to get longer, and that the girls enjoy the karaoke way more than they do. Beck starts to feel a little fuzzy after his third beer, and switches to water. Jade on the other hand, keeps downing vodka lemonades like someone might take them away from her if she doesn't. The last thing she remembers is singing Lady Marmalade with Cat and Tori, and then everything goes fuzzy. The next thing she knows, she's waking up in Beck's bed with a splitting headache.

"Hey there." Beck smiles, brushing some of her hair away from her face "How ya feelin?"

"Like I slammed my head in a car door..." Jade admits as she pushes herself into a sitting position "I think I-"

She doesn't have time to finish her thought because as soon as she sits upright, she feels the overwhelming need to throw up. Beck had anticipated this and had a trash can waiting for her next to the bed. He grabs her hair and holds it behind her with one hand while he rubs her back with the other.

"Yup, you're going to have a pretty wicked hangover..." He sighs "I'm sorry, baby."

"This is your fault." She tells him "You're the one who bought me the vodka lemonade in the first place."

"That's true, I did buy you the first one. But you bought the other seven." He informs her "That was all Jade's fault."

"Seven?" She sounds shocked as the words come out of her mouth "Why didn't anyone cut me off?"

"Cat and Tori both tried, but-"

"But I was a bitch about it?"

"Ding ding ding."

"Ugh, I feel like absolute shit." Jade admits, laying down again and pulling the sheets up around her

"Good thing I'm here to take care of you then, huh?" Beck says quietly, rubbing her leg beneath the blankets

"Yeah." She smiles a bit "Good thing."

"I'm going to go run and find you some gatorade and some crackers, okay?" Beck tells her, walking around to her side of the bed and kissing her forehead gently "I'll be right back."

"Hurry." She tells him "I'll miss you."

* * *

The first snowfall of the season that year happens to grace the city with its presence on the afternoon of Beck and Jade's fifth anniversary. This makes it even more special because not only is the first snow of the season magical regardless, but its also the first time in her life that Jade has ever seen real snow. It's a thick flurry at first, and she and Beck cuddle up together in his bed as soon as she arrives from work, watching out the window as it slowly but surely coats Central Park in a layer of white powder.

"It's so pretty." Jade remarks as she rests her head against his chest

"Right now it is, yeah." Beck laughs "Just wait, it'll get all dirty and gray and slushy soon enough."

They agree that because of the weather, they won't get overly dressed up in order to go to dinner. Instead they both wear jeans, nice tops, and dress boots. Beck finds a nice Italian restaurant with a view of the Hudson River and makes a 7:00 reservation. He tells his roommates not to wait up for them, and then they take a taxi to the restaurant.

Jade can't help but notice that Beck seems a bit off once they sit down at dinner. He seems jittery, almost jumpy. She asks him if he's okay, and he assures her that he is. They have a nice dinner regardless, reminiscing on the past five years of their relationship. They talk about how naive they were when they first met, how much they've grown up, and how much they've grown together.

"We should take a walk." Beck suggests after they pay the check "Let our food settle a little bit before we head back to...you know."

"Oh I know." Jade winks as he helps her pull her coat on "Sure, let's take a walk."

There's a path along the river lit up with miniature street lamps, and the city has strung white holiday lights up along the guard rail next to the water. It looks like a scene right out of a snow globe or a Christmas movie. The snow is still falling lightly, clinging to their hair, hats, and scarves. It's not windy at all though, so it's not too bad of a night.

"Has your body grown accustomed to these cold temperatures yet?" Beck teases his girlfriend

"It's getting there." Jade chuckles

She wraps both of her arms around his left one, leaning into his side.

"This is beautiful." She tells him "Like a movie."

"Yeah, it's kinda perfect isn't it?" He smiles

"Kinda."

"Can I try and make it more perfect?" Beck asks her

"Oh don't tell me Andre is going to hop out of that bush up there with a barber shop quartet or something." Jade laughs as Beck stops walking and takes both of her hands in his "What are you up to, Oliver?

"I thought my life was over when my parents told me we were moving to America." Beck begins "But I know now, looking back as an adult, that my life didn't even really start until we did. Because when we moved here, I met you. And you turned my world upside fucking down, in so many ways, and changed me for the better."

"Happy to be of service." She smirks

"You and I have had our fair share of ups and downs, haven't we?"

"Yeah, we have."

"But we're still here. We're still together."

"We are."

"I want to be together for the rest of our lives." Beck tells her as he reaches into his pocket and kneels to the ground "So, Jade-"

"Oh my god." She cuts him off "Beck, of cour-"

"Let me finish." Beck laughs "Jade Danielle West, if you're not sick of me already, will you marry me?"

"Yes." She grins "Beck, of course. Yes!"

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

Beck is grinning from ear to ear as he stands up and rips the glove off of her left hand. He's so excited that he almost drops the ring as he removes it from the box to slide on to her finger. The ring isn't anything super extravagant, he definitely wishes that he could replace it, but its beautiful nonetheless and looks even more beautiful sitting on her finger.

"Oh my god, it's gorgeous." Jade smiles up at him before immediately turning her attention back to the ring

"I'm sorry it's not bigger." Beck apologizes "Maybe one day I can get you something better but I just wanted to-"

"Stop." She laughs, cupping his face in her hands "Stop it. It's perfect."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I do." Beck smiles, wrapping his arms around her waist to pick her up and spin her around "I like the sound of that."

"Me too." Jade grins as he sets her back down on the pavement "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Beck tells her "And I can't wait to marry you."


	10. I Do, I Do, I Do

Beck and Jade keep their engagement news to themselves that night. They want to take the rest of the evening to celebrate together just the two of them. The next morning though as soon as Jade wakes up she throws on a sweatshirt and leaves Beck's suite, making her way down two flights of stairs to Cat's to share the news with her best friend. Cat already knew, of course. She had gone with Beck to pick out the ring, which looks just as beautiful sitting on her best friend's finger as she imagined it would. Together the two of them call Tori and share the news with her as Beck is still upstairs texting Andre and Robbie to tell them as well.

They decide not to tell their families right away. Less than a week later they'll be flying home to Los Angeles for semester break with the rest of their friends, and feel it will be better to let them know in person. Jade is more nervous to tell her parents than Beck is, but then again she has twice as many of them to tell. She's not as good at sticking up for herself as he is, and is thankful that she'll have him by her side when they share the news.

As soon as their plane begins its descent into LAX, Jade begins to feel anxious. She had requested that both her mother and father come to the airport to pick her up together so that they could make their announcement to both of them at the same time they make it to Beck's parents. That way it doesn't seem like their favoring one over the other and nobody is keeping secrets from anyone. Beck senses his fiancé's anxiety and squeezes her hand reassuringly. They make eye contact for a moment and he offers her a slight smile, which she returns before resting her head against his shoulder.

Their parents are all waiting for them right next to the baggage claim carousel. Kaitlyn and Priya both move to hug their respective children first, while the fathers wait their turn. It doesn't surprise Jade that her mother offers Beck a hug as well, she knows that she's always liked him, but she's incredibly surprised when Priya offers her a hug. After five years, this is the first time the two of them have ever hugged.

"Look at you two." Kaitlyn smiles at the young couple "Real grown-up new yorkers!"

"It's only been a semester, Mom." Jade laughs

"I know but you already look more grown up."

"Let's get these kids home." James suggests "They've had a long flight after a long semester, they're probably tired."

"Actually, Dad. There's something we want to tell you guys first." Beck says as he reaches for Jade's hand

"And that would be?"

"We're engaged." Beck tells them proudly as Jade holds up her left hand to show them her ring "I asked Jade on our anniversary."

"And I said yes."

"Is she pregnant?" Priya asks Beck immediately before turning to Jade "Are you pregnant?"

"What? No!"

"There are other options, you know. You don't have to get married."

"I'm not pregnant." Jade repeats

"Yeah, Mom. Relax." Beck adds "We're not engaged because we have to be, we're engaged because we want to be. We love each other."

"Of course you do." Kaitlyn nods sympathetically "But you're so young..."

"You're one to talk, Mom." Jade reminds her

"This is different, Jade. You know that."

"Just when exactly do you two plan on getting married?" John asks "Or have you already eloped as well?"

"We didn't elope." Jade rolls her eyes "We were thinking June."

"The June after you both graduate four years from now, right?"

"No, this June." Beck tells them "As in six months from now."

"Absolutely not." John shakes his head "No daughter of mine is going to be a teenage bride. That's just not practical."

"You can't stop us." Jade reminds him "We're adults now, we can do what we want."

"Alright, alright!" James steps in "This is not the time or the place to get into an argument about this. It's been a long day and everyone is tired, let's get going before someone says something they'll regret."

"I think that's a good idea." Kaitlyn agrees

The rides home for both parties are tense. Priya does most of the lecturing to Beck and John does most of the lecturing to Jade. Both of them make the same basic argument, which is that they're simply just too young. Too young to understand anything about love or marriage or anything else that goes along with it.

Beck is shocked when he learns that Jade is still allowed to bring him along to Christmas Eve dinner at her father's house. He figured for sure that he would be banned from ever stepping foot in that house again, but is happy for an opportunity to get himself back into his future father-in-law's good graces.

He spends most of the night on Jade's arm as she talks to different family members and friends of her father's. She proudly introduces him as her fiancé to all of them, and he loves hearing that word come out of her mouth. He's sure, however, that he'll love hearing her introduce him as her husband even more. They mingle and make small talk for most of the night, until Beck sees an opening and excuses himself to speak to John one-on-one.

"Don't make it worse." Jade begs him

"I won't." He promises her as he kisses her on the cheek "Don't worry."

John had left a group of people and made his way over to the snack table, and Beck joins him.

"Mr. West." He says politely, outstretching a hand to shake his

"Beck." The man sighs, shaking his hand

"You and Mrs. West sure do know how to throw quite the party."

"Thank you."

"Sir, I know that you're not my biggest fan right now, or that you've never really been my biggest fan...but I love your daughter." Beck tells him "And same as you I would never, ever, want to see her hurt or upset. I want you to know that this is real and we love each other and that even though we both know she doesn't need anyone to take care of her, that I'm going to."

"Y'know, Beck..." John sighs again "It's practically custom for a man to approach his girlfriend's father and ask for his permission before he proposes. It's almost rude not to."

"I realize that, Mr. West. And I apologize." Beck tells him "It was never my intention to be rude to you. But with all due respect, I feel that custom is a bit old-fashioned."

"Of course you do." John chuckles, resisting the urge to roll his eyes "Please, tell me more."

"I understand that Jade is your daughter, and that until she gets married you see it as your responsibility to take care of her." Beck begins "But she's not your property. She's her own person with her own thoughts and feelings and she can make her own choices. So when I ask her to marry me, the only person I need permission from is her. It's her life and her choice to make."

"I suppose you have a point."

"I do?" Beck sounds shocked that he agrees "I mean, yes. I do."

"No one can stop you two from making the decisions you want to make." John informs him "I know that, my wife knows that, Jade's mother and step-father know that, and I'm sure your parents to do too. We aren't saying what we're saying to be cruel, we just want to help you make informed decisions, because as your parents that's what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to help you."

"And we're not trying to be disrespectful." Beck assures him "I just...we really love each other, and after five years...this is the next step we want to take together."

John doesn't say anything else to Beck, but extends his hand for another handshake and offers Beck a slight smile before returning to the group of people he had been talking to previously. Beck returns to Jade, slipping his hand into hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Everything alright?" She asks him

"Everything is fine."

* * *

"Your middle name is Danielle?" Tori asks as she examines Beck and Jade's marriage license

They had gone to the courthouse together the week before to get their license, and in her hands Tori holds proof that the state of California has given Jade Danielle West and Beckett James Oliver permission to legally marry one another. The two of them opted to marry at home in Los Angeles during their summer vacation rather than in New York to avoid having to pay for hotels for everyone. Not to mention that Los Angeles was where they met and fell in love. There would be a small ceremony in a few hours followed by a small reception, but in the meantime Jade is holding on to their license. Beck requested that she do so because he knew he was more likely to lose it.

"Yes ma'am." Jade tells her as Cat applies her eye shadow for her "My grandmother's maiden name was Daniels, so they named my mom Kaitlyn Danielle. Then when she had her own daughter, she passed the name to me."

"Interesting." Tori shrugs, setting the document back in its folder on Jade's desk "I never knew that."

"I mean, how often do we talk about our middle names?" Jade laughs

"It's weird to see your room so empty..." Cat sighs as she sets one makeup brush down and picks up another "I feel like its my room too."

After the wedding, Jade would be moving into the RV with Beck until it's time for them to go back to school again in the fall. Then, they will move into the apartment they found in New York, midway between both of their schools.

"Don't you go crying on me now too." Jade smirks "My mom has been an emotional wreck all morning."

"Well, you're moving out and getting married on the same day."

"Exciting, isn't it?" Jade grins

Cat finishes her makeup and then swaps so Tori can do her hair. She pulls Jade's hair into an updo in the back of her head, but leaves a lock of hair on each side of her head to curl so that it's framing her face.

"You look so pretty!" Cat squeals "I can't believe you're getting married!"

"Me either." Jade admits

After Cat and Tori finish their own hair and makeup, the three girls pull their dresses out of the otherwise empty closet. Jade's dress is simple. It's a strapless, floor-length gown with a sweetheart neckline. They had found it on sale for less than two hundred dollars, which had been the budget her father gave her. He's following the custom of the father of the bride paying for the wedding, but is trying to spend as little money as possible. He loves his daughter, but with her being so young he wants to make sure he has enough money left just in case he ends up having to pay for a second wedding one day, but he would never admit that to her. Cat and Jade will wear floor-length, v-neck dresses that have tank-top style straps and match the dusty sage color that Beck and Jade chose to make their wedding theme. The boys will wear ties that are that same green color, along with white dress shirts, gray pants, and gray vests, but no jackets due to the warm weather.

"Mrs. Parker!" Cat opens the door and yells down the hallway "She's ready!"

Within a few minutes, Jade's mother appears in the doorway also dressed and ready.

"Oh." She gasps when she sees her daughter "My little girl!"

"Do I look okay?" Jade asks her

"Oh sweetheart, you look beautiful!" She tells her as she wraps her up in a hug "You all do."

"Wait!" Cat exclaims, grabbing Jade's veil off of her bed and pinning it into her hair "There, now you're ready."

"Well, we better get going." Kaitlyn sniffs, brushing away tears from under her eyes "A bride shouldn't be late to her own wedding."

They opted to have the ceremony on the beach, as it was a significantly cheaper option than renting out a church or ballroom. After the wedding itself, everyone would walk up a few yards up the beach to the restaurant they had rented out to have the reception in. There would be food, music, and dancing but most importantly, celebration.

Jade waits in the restaurant until the wedding starts. She wants to stick to the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other until the walk down the aisle, even though she thinks the superstition of not doing so being unlucky is complete bullshit. When its time, her mother escorts her across the parking lot to where her father is waiting to walk her down the stairs to the sand where all of the chairs and the wedding arch have been set up. She kisses her daughter's cheek, and then goes to follow Priya and James down the aisle as music starts to play out of the speakers that are set up. Jade watches as the members of the wedding party make their way down to the sand, and Cat turns around to give her one last wink of reassurance before she and Andre make their way down last as the maid of honor and best man respectively.

"You're sure this is what you really want?" John asks his daughter, adjusting her veil as the sea breeze blows it a bit

"I'm sure." She nods

"Okay." He smiles a bit, rubbing her arm gently before kissing her forehead "Let's go."

She feels more nervous now than she has ever felt singing or performing in a play. They hadn't invited that many people, only about fifty total including Beck's grandparents who had finally faced their fears of crossing an international border, but every pair of eyes are on her and her father as he walks her down the aisle towards the wedding arch. All of her nervousness melts away though when she and Beck lock eyes on one another. He's standing proudly at the front, in between the officiant and Andre, smiling at her as she makes her way to him. Beck brushes a tear away from his eye and Andre pats him firmly on the back, happy that his two best friends have found such happiness.

"Who gives this woman away?" The officiant asks as Jade and John reach the front

"Her family and I do." John tells her, before kissing Jade's forehead again and returning to his seat

Beck and Jade had requested that John give that response, as opposed to the typical 'her mother and I do'. Both her step-mother and step-father had been in her life since she was very young, in fact its hard for her to remember a time when either one of them weren't around. She wanted Chris and Angie to also have a part in giving her away, but she didn't want to discredit her father. He surprisingly accepted their request without any arguments.

"Welcome, family, friends and loved ones." The officiant smiles "We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of these two young people. You have come here to share in this formal commitment they make to one another, to offer your love and support to this union, and to allow Jade and Beck to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them."

"Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. No ceremony can create your marriage, only you can do that. Through love and patience, through dedication and perseverance, through talking and listening, helping and supporting and believing in each other, through tenderness and laughter, through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together as partners for life."

Beck is smiling so big that his face is starting to hurt. He doesn't care though. The girl he fell in love with in eighth grade, and that he's been in love with every day since, is about to become his wife.

"Do you, Beck, take this woman to be your wedded wife?"

"I do." Beck grins

"Do you, Jade, take this man to be your wedded husband?"

"I do." Jade smiles at him

"Two people in love do not live in isolation." The officiant explains "Their love is a source of strength with which they may nourish not only each other but also the world around them. And in turn, we, their community of friends and family, have a responsibility to this couple. By our steadfast care, respect, and love, we can support their marriage and the new family they are creating today. Will you who are present here today, surround Beck and Jade in love, offering them the joys of your friendship and supporting them in their marriage?"

"We will." All of their wedding guests respond in a unison chorus

"We've come to the point of your ceremony where you're going to say your vows to one another." The officiant smiles as she places a hand on each of their shoulders "But before you do that, I ask you to remember that love, which is rooted in faith, trust, and acceptance, will be the foundation of an abiding and deepening relationship. No other ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now assume. If you are able to keep the vows you take here today, not because of any religious or civic law, but out of a desire to love and be loved by another person fully, without limitation, then your life will have joy and the home you establish will be a place in which you both will find the direction of your growth, your freedom, and your responsibility. Beck, I believe you asked to go first."

"Thank you." He tells her, taking Jade's hands in his "Jade, the day I met you, I knew I was in trouble. You were unlike any other girl I had ever met, and it scared me that I liked you so much. What scared me even more was realizing that I had fallen in love with you. Now, I cannot imagine a life without you in it. I know that there is no other place I want to be than right here, right now, committing to you and our life together until we cease to exist. I can think of nothing more special or precious in this world than the two of us standing up here in front of our family and friends, declaring to each other and to the world, that we will love, support and honor each other forever. Forever is a word that did not really have meaning for me until now, because now I have something that truly is forever, _we _have something that truly is forever. I promise to never forget the gravity of the promises we make today, and will do everything in my soul to love you every minute, of every day, that we are lucky enough to have together from this day forward. You truly are the love of my life."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to follow that." Jade chuckles as she brushes a tear away from her eye, trying her best not to smear her makeup "Beck, when I first met you I never imagined that one day we would be standing here. I used to think that we met by chance, but now I know without a doubt that the universe brought us to one another because we were meant to spend our lives together. You are my best friend and my biggest supporter. Today marks the start to the rest of our lives, I know it will not be enough time with you. I will not take our time together for granted. And because words cannot do it, I promise to show you, for the rest of my life, how much I love you. I promise to encourage you to follow your dreams. I promise to hold your hand through the good times and through the bad times. I promise to be loyal and faithful to you always. And I promise that when we are old and gray, we will look back on our lives together and we will have no regrets. You are the love of my life, and I can't wait to spend forever with you."

"May I have the rings please?" The officiant smiles as she turns to Andre

Andre reaches into his pocket and pulls out the two silver wedding bands that Beck had entrusted him with, handing them over to the officiant. She hands Beck's to Jade and Jade's to Beck.

"Beck, repeat after me...I give you this ring to wear with love and joy."

"I give you this ring to wear with love and joy."

"As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

"As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

"Jade, repeat after me...I give you this ring to wear with love and joy."

"I give you this ring to wear with love and joy."

"As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore."

"As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore."

"By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Beck, you may now kiss your bride!"

Beck reaches forward and lifts Jade's veil over her head, then grabs her face in his hands and pulls her in for what feels like the best kiss they've ever had. When they break away, they're both smiling like idiots and turn to wave to their friends and family.

"I love you so much." Jade says to him

"I love you more, Mrs. Oliver."


	11. The First Year

Their apartment is small and it's certainly nothing special, but Beck and Jade love it nonetheless. Sure, they miss the view of Central Park from Beck's bedroom window back at the Juilliard dorms, and they certainly wouldn't complain about going back to the endless supply of hot water that dorms could provide, but this apartment is theirs. Renting it together is the first adult thing that they've done together as a married couple. It's not a spectacular life, but it's theirs. And to them that makes it as special as it needs to be.

It's a simple studio apartment. There's a small kitchenette, very similar to the one Beck had in his suite the year prior, in one corner, and an even smaller bathroom with a sink, shower, and toilet attached just off the main room. Otherwise, what you see is what you get. Their bed is actually a double-sized pull out sleeper sofa, although they really only ever fold it up into an actual couch when they're having company over. It's not as big as the king-size bed they one day hope to have, but its definitely a step up from the twin sized beds they had been sharing when they stayed over in each other's dorm rooms. Directly across from the bed is the TV. It's small, but it gets the job done. Closer to the kitchenette there's a small table along the wall where they eat their meals and do their homework. They have a wardrobe and a dresser that they both share. It's not much, but for now it's all they need.

The building is full of other couples just like them. One or both of the two are going to school, mostly NYU like Jade but there are some others attending smaller universities that are also in the area. Some have young children, some have pets, but Beck and Jade are for sure the youngest ones. When they tell their neighbors that they're married, some don't believe them. Some even give them odd looks, similar to the ones their parents gave them when they first broke the news of their engagement, but no one is unfriendly. Regardless, Beck and Jade hope that it's just a temporary situation, and that one day they'll be able to afford a penthouse apartment or something of the sort in the heart of the city.

"There's my beautiful wife." Beck smiles as Jade enters the door from work one afternoon

It's October now and the weather is still making up its mind. Some days it's hot, other days it feels more like fall. Today it feels more like fall, so Jade removes her coat and hangs it on the hook by the door before entering the apartment any further.

"Hello husband." She smirks as she kicks off her shoes and flops down on the bed next to Beck

"Mmm...I like the sound of that." Beck smiles as he wraps an arm around her "Say it again."

"Husband."

"Yup, still sounds too good to be true." He laughs, pecking her quickly on the lips "How was your day?"

"Oh you know, same old same old." Jade sighs "Went to class, served coffee to rude people who don't know how to tip, have a ton of homework to do. How was yours?"

"About the same." He chuckles "But, I was hoping I might be able to talk to you about something real quick before you get started on your homework."

"Alright." Jade says as she rests her head on his chest "What's up?"

"College is not what I was expecting it to be." Beck admits

"A'int that the truth." Jade chuckles "I expected it to be way more fun."

"That's not what I mean." Beck sighs "I mean that...well I'm not getting as much out of it as I had hoped that I would. It's no fun to sit in classes as just listen to old people _talk_ about acting without getting to really do any acting."

"You're still in general education courses." Jade reminds him "The real acting will come soon enough."

"Eventually it will, yeah. But what will it all be for?" He asks her "It will all be projects that someone else is picking for me, something that they're assigning me, something that someone else has already done. It just...I don't feel as excited about it as I thought I would."

"So, what are you saying then?" She asks him

"I think I want to drop out."

"Beck..."

"I know it sounds bad, but hear me out." He tells her "I'll find full-time work, and I'll start going on auditions. Eventually, my big break will come along and I'll finally get to do what I actually _want_ to be doing, not what someone is telling me to. I think that break is going to come a lot quicker if I go out now and start getting legitimate acting credits on my resume and get some real experience in the industry. Not to mention I feel horrible wasting my parents' money when I know I'm not getting as much out of it as I'm intended to."

Their parents still pay their tuition. They had been told, or at least Jade had been told my her parents, that it would be the final gift that they receive from them. Everything else, the rent, the utilities, the insurance, the groceries and the phone bills...that had all fallen on Beck and Jade now.

"Well, if you think that's what's best..."

"I do." Beck nods "I do think its what's best. Not to mention that me having a full time job will pull more money in to cover our expenses."

"I suppose that's true..." Jade agrees

They both work part-time jobs now in addition to going to school. They're not in any real financial trouble, at least not yet. But they are living paycheck to paycheck most months. Having some extra money really wouldn't hurt at all.

"I won't do it if you don't want me to." He assures her

"I would never ask you to keep at something you're not happy doing." Jade assures him "At least not long term like that. Remember my vows? I'll always encourage you to follow your dreams. I'm your wife, that means you'll have my support always."

"Thank you, Jade." He kisses the top of her head "Thank you for supporting me."

"Always." She smiles up at him "I promise."

* * *

"Jade!" Beck exclaims, frustrated as he fiddles with the thermostat control on the wall "Jade!"

"I'm right here, Jesus Christ." Jade sighs as she comes out of the bathroom "What do you want?"

"It's fucking freezing in here!" Beck exclaims

"Yeah no shit." Jade mutters as she pulls a sweatshirt over her head

"What?"

"I said no shit!" She snaps at him "We didn't have enough money to pay heat and electrical at the same time this month, I had to prioritize!"

"Well did you ever consider talking to me about _what_ we should prioritize?"

"Without the electricity, nothing in this apartment runs." Jade reminds him "We don't have lights, we don't have a fridge, and we don't have the stupid TV with your stupid ESPN!"

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She tells him "You don't get to yell at me about the heat not working and then not talking to you about choosing what bills to pay when you're the one who _insisted_ I take care of the finances."

"You're better at it than I am!"

"Yeah, of course I am!" She insists "If it were up to you we'd be living without electricity, apparently."

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"Because this is your fault, Beck!" Jade is so frustrated she could cry "Don't you realize that?"

In the six weeks since he had dropped out of school, Beck had yet to find a full time job to supplement for attending classes. However, he had managed to get himself fired from his part-time job after skipping his shift to go on an audition. He booked that part, so at least it wasn't for nothing. But it was just a commercial spot and he only made about three hundred dollars off of it, which Jade didn't really view as being worth losing his original job in the first place. There had been two other commercials since then as well, neither of them paying much more than the first. So now they are relying solely on Jade's income alone, and it's just not enough.

"I'm looking for a job!" Beck insists "Don't try to make me the bad guy here!"

"You should have found _something_ by now, Beck. _Anything_ would be better than nothing at this point."

"Well I'm sorry that I haven't found anything I would actually enjoy doing yet!"

"Enjoy?" Jade almost laughs "You're looking for something that you..._enjoy_?"

"What's so amusing about that?"

"Beck, this isn't a matter of pleasure." Jade tells him "If it was a permanent thing you'd be doing for the rest of your life, then yeah sure absolutely. I would tell you to find something you enjoy doing. But it's only temporary until you get the right audition! Enjoyment has absolutely nothing to do with it. It's just survival at this point. Do you think I _enjoy_ waiting tables and serving coffee for minimum wage?"

"Well..."

"Of course I don't!" She exclaims "I fucking hate it! But I do it because we have bills to pay and everybody has to start somewhere!"

"Well if your job is so secure, why don't you just pick up some more hours then?"

"Oh, you're joking." Jade rolls her eyes "Beck, I'm taking eighteen fucking credit hours this semester, I don't have the _time_ to pick up anymore hours-"

"Oh here we go..." Beck sighs "Throw the school thing in my face again. You think you're better than me because you stayed in school."

"That's not true and you know it." Jade shakes her head "Don't you start with me, Oliver-"

"Don't you start with _me_, Oliver!" He spits back "That's your last name too now, or have you already forgotten?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten."

"Are you sure?" Beck asks her "Because right now you're acting more like my mother than my wife."

"Whatever, Beck." Jade says, rubbing her temples "I'm too tired to have this fight anymore."

She goes over the the table along the wall and turns her laptop on, logging in to begin working on the next assignment that she has due. Beck slips his boots on and laces them up, then grabs his coat off the hook on the wall and pulls it on as he heads for the door.

"Where are you going?" She sighs

Beck says nothing as he pulls his hat onto his head, but he's sure to make eye contact with her as he slips out the door and slams it shut behind him.

Jade wants to scream, but she doesn't necessarily think it would help any because all she and Beck have been doing for the past few days is screaming at each other. She wants to curl up in a ball in the middle of their bed and just cry, but she can't. This assignment is due in the morning, and she can't afford to not turn it in on time.

When Beck doesn't return by seven o'clock, she assumes it's alright to eat dinner without him. There's no sense in making a whole meal for just her, and she's too mad at Beck right now to consider saving him leftovers. So she grabs a frozen microwave meal out of the freezer and heats it up, eats alone, sends Beck a text to ask him if he's alright, and then goes back to her assignment.

She finishes her school work just before nine, and checks her phone to make sure she's receiving messages correctly. It seems to be working fine, there's text messages from other people coming through, and only then does she process their fight. They had yelled, no screamed, at each other, her husband had left the apartment angry, and she hasn't heard from him in over five hours. When she's upset, normally she would turn to Beck. He's always her rock when she's upset. But right now he won't do her any good, and calling her mother would only worry her. It might even prompt her to offer them money, and she doesn't want the charity. So she calls the only other person in the world she feels that she can trust with her emotions.

"Hey Jadey!" Cat answers the call after the second ring "What's up?"

"Beck and I got into a fight." Jade tells her best friend "A really bad one, _hours_ ago...and he put his coat on and stormed out and I haven't heard from him since."

"Jade, I'm so sorry..." Cat says sympathetically, a hint of worry in her voice "What happened?"

"It was the money thing again."

"Still hasn't found a job?"

"No." Jade sighs "And isn't actively looking."

"And you finally called him on it."

"I did."

"And he didn't handle it well."

"Of course he didn't." Jade tells her "And we screamed at each other, which I'm not proud of but...I mean it happened. And he left like five hours ago and he won't answer his phone and it's getting dark and it's snowing and...I'm really fucking worried about him."

"Let me call Andre." Cat suggests "I'll see if he's heard from him. And if he hasn't, he'd probably be most likely to be able to track him down."

"Thank you, Cat."

"Anything for you, Jade. You know that." Cat assures her "Do you want me to come over?"

"No, the weather is bad." Jade reminds her "Just stay where you are."

"If you say so." Cat agrees "I'll let you know what Andre tells me, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you, Jade."

"I love you too, Cat."

Jade hangs up the phone somehow feeling even more defeated. She tosses it down on the bed and goes over to her wardrobe, peeling off her hoodie and replacing it with one of Beck's instead. His familiar scent is comforting to her, even after an argument.

With no other option but to sit and wait, she crawls into bed and turns the TV on. She flips to sitcom reruns in hopes of hopefully finding something to laugh at, but her eyes keep wandering to the window. The snow seems to be falling harder every time she looks, and she's scared that something might have happened to Beck. She tries to call him, but he sends her straight to voicemail every time. Eventually, Cat texts to let her know that Andre hadn't heard from Beck either, but was going to try and get ahold of him and would keep them posted.

Jade is too anxious to fall asleep. She tries, but she can't. Eventually, just before midnight, she hears someone at the door and looks up just in time to see her husband walk through it.

"Beck." She lets out a relieved sigh "Thank god. I was so fucking worr-"

She doesn't have a chance to finish her sentence, because Beck has grabbed her face in his hands and is kissing her. It's not an angry kiss either. It's a sincere, lovely, passionate kiss.

"You had me worried sick." Jade tells him when they finally break away "Why the hell weren't you answering your phone?"

"I ignored you at first because I was mad." Beck admits "But by the time I cooled off and actually had the chance to respond, it had died."

"Beck..."

"I know." He rests his forehead against her's "I know. I'm sorry."

"Where were you?"

"Central Park." He tells her "I walked the whole lap around the whole thing."

"Beck, it's freezing! Why the hell would you do that?"

"It hadn't started snowing yet." He assures her "And I just needed to clear my head. I was angry, and no one can reason with me when I'm angry. Not even you."

"I wasn't exactly being reasonable either." She reminds him "We can both be pretty stubborn that way."

"But you had every right to be mad at me." He says "You were right. I'm not trying to make a career out of whatever job I end up with right now. I just need something to pay the bills while I go on auditions and try to catch my big break. Which is why after I took my lap around central park, I went and put in job applications at five different places."

"You did?"

"I did." Beck nods "Hopefully I'll start hearing back from them as soon as tomorrow. I'm either going to end up a janitor or working in fast food, but its only temporary, right?"

"Right." Jade nods as she pulls him into a hug

His arms are strong and warm as he wraps them around her, despite all of the time he had just spent out in the cold.

"I'm sorry I got so defensive." He apologizes "I just...I've promised so many people that I would take care of you and I feel like I'm failing."

"Stop, don't say that." Jade begs him "Everything that happened today was just as much my fault as it was yours. We...Beck we have to work on our communication, otherwise..."

"Otherwise, what?"

"We'll end up like my parents." She tells him with tears in her eyes "I refuse to end up like my parents."

"Hey, hey, hey shh..." He wraps her up in another hug and rubs her back gently "We're not going to end up like your parents. We wouldn't have made it this far if we were."

"What do you mean?"

"How long were your parents together?"

"I dunno." Jade admits "Maybe four years?"

"And we're coming up on six." He reminds her "And did they ever get married?"

"No."

"We've been married for almost six months." He smiles "You and I are in this for the long haul, babe. Don't you worry."

"I love you." She admits as she leans in closer to him

"I love you too." He smirks, kissing the top of her head as he wraps an arm around her "What do you say we both crawl into bed and cuddle? Keep each other warm?"

"Shit. You've been outside all day." Jade stands up and heads to the kitchenette "Let me make you some hot chocolate."

"That would be great. Thank you, babe." Beck smiles "I'm going to go out and get us a space heater first thing tomorrow. That way we won't freeze to death waiting for the next paycheck to come in."

"Sounds good to me, but make sure its a cheap one. After all...well we're waiting for the next paycheck to come in." She repeats his words "Beck?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Promise me we won't ever let things explode like that again." She says as the microwave hums softly "Promise me we'll discuss any issues that arise before they get to that point."

A sympathetic look falls across his face as he stands up from the bed and walks over to her, wrapping her up in yet another hug before speaking again.

"I promise." He assures her "Nothing like this will ever happen again."


	12. Strokes of Luck

Beck reaches over and rubs Jade's arm gently, pulling her from the deep sleep she had fallen into as delicately as he can.

"What is it?" She murmurs into the pillow

"She's on after the commercial break." Beck says quietly to his wife "But babe, if you're that tired it'll be on YouTube by the time you wake up tomorrow."

"I'm not watching it for the first time on fucking YouTube." Jade tells him as she rolls over "What kind of friend would that make me?"

"A tired one." Beck points out

"I'm watching it live." Jade insists as positions her head on his chest so that she has a comfortable view of the TV

They're twenty-one now and have been married for just over a year and a half. Beck found work as a custodian at a law firm in the city and while he only makes minimum wage, his income has helped them live a bit more comfortably. They're still living in their studio apartment and sleeping in a bed that pulls out of a couch, but they can afford their rent and utilities and usually have plenty left over for groceries and anything else that they might need.

Jade is determined to graduate a semester early so she can start her attempt to break into the industry. Much like her husband, she's starting to feel the itch. She wants to work, she wants to act for fun and not for a grade, she wants to write and direct and have creative control. But she's so close to graduating that she wouldn't dare drop out now.

"Welcome back everybody!" The late night host on their television screen grins "If you haven't heard of my next guest yet, trust me you will soon. She's making huge waves in the music industry, everybody give it up for Cat Valentine!"

"Look at how cute she is." Jade chuckles as their friend prances across the screen to hug the host and sit down in the chair next to him "People are about to fall in love with her."

"They'd be stupid not to." Beck agrees

Like Beck, Cat had also decided to drop out of school. Although she did so with much more of a safety net than he had. She had been posting covers of herself singing different songs on YouTube, hoping to get her name out into the world. A producer found her and offered to help her record a demo of her own, and then they sent that demo to different record labels. By the end of her sophomore year of college she had a recording contract, two singles playing on the radio, and an album in the works. Now she splits her time between Los Angeles and New York.

Cat talks to the late night host about how she has loved performing her entire life and about her time at Hollywood Arts. She gives a shoutout to her friends, which makes both Beck and Jade smile, and then discusses the details of her upcoming debut album. Jade couldn't be any happier for her friend, she had worked so hard for this and stopped at nothing to achieve it.

After Cat does her interview and performs, the show ends. Beck reaches for the remote and switches the TV off, and the apartment becomes dark.

"I'm so happy for her." Jade sighs as she snuggles up close to Beck

"Yeah me too." Beck says as he rubs her back gently

"You're jealous, aren't you?" Jade chuckles

"Maybe a little bit." Beck admits "Not about the whole pop star thing, because obviously that's not the direction I want to take my career in but-"

"But you have such a beautiful voice, babe." Jade smirks

"Thank you. I think I'll let you do the singing in this relationship though." Beck chuckles "I guess I'm just a bit jealous that Cat got her big break already."

"Yours will come." Jade assures him as her eyes start to grow heavy "And it'll come soon. I can feel it."

And a few weeks later, Beck does catch a break. It's not a big break, but its the most promising thing that has come his way in a while.

"Jade?" He calls out eagerly as he walks through the door "Jade, are you home?"

"I'm home." She chuckles, looking up from her laptop as she sits at the table "Someone seems like he's in a good mood."

"I'm in a very good mood." He grins, walking over to the table and grabbing her hands to pull her into his arms "Guess what?"

"Hmm..." Jade hesitates for a moment "Someone finally bought that empty building down the block and they're turning it into a Jet Vroom?"

"I admire your wishful thinking, but that's not it."

"What is it then?" She laughs

"I'm going to be on SVU!"

"Shut up!" Jade gasps "You got the part?"

"I got the part!"

"Hoy shit! I'm so proud of you!" Jade grins, grabbing her husband's face in her hands and kissing him "When do you start?"

"Monday morning." He tells her "It's a six episode arc."

"Beck, that's amazing!"

"I know it is." He grins "It's going to open so many doors for me too."

"We should go out and celebrate." Jade tells him, squeezing his hands tightly "Where do you want to go?"

"How about that Italian place I took you for our anniversary a few years back?" He suggests

"Sounds perfect." She smiles, kissing him on the cheek "Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

* * *

"How does it feel?" Beck asks, looking over his wife's shoulder

"It feels like I'm holding the most expensive piece of paper I'll ever own." Jade admits, staring down at the framed diploma in her lap "But it feels good. I'm relieved now."

"You should feel _proud_." Beck tells her, grabbing the frame off of her lap and hanging it on a nail on the wall "Getting a degree in three and a half years while maintaining honor roll _and_ working is not an easy task."

"I'm aware."

"Say you're proud of yourself."

"I'm proud of myself."

"That's my girl." Beck smiles, kissing her quickly before pushing her backwards onto the bed

"Beck!"

"What?" He laughs as he wraps his arms around her "Can't a husband cuddle with his wife?"

"Alright fine." She laughs looking up at him "But just for a little while. I have auditions to search for."

"I could have Mona look into some stuff for you, if you want." Beck tells her

Mona is Beck's casting agent. He has recently hired her after the success of his role on SVU, and she's been able to help him make connections with even more casting directors.

"You think she would do that?"

"Yeah, probably." Beck tells her, kissing the top of her head "Hey, have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are?"

"You have." Jade smiles "But tell me again."

"Your eyes are so blue, they make the sky and ocean look grey." Beck tells her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear so he can see them better "Your eyes, that sparkle in the sun and in the moonlight, would make sapphires envious. Your eyes shine and sparkle more lively than anything of water crystals could. Your gaze could take a person's breath away, it takes mine away every single time I look at you. Your eyes, your beautiful blue eyes...they're amazing."

"You should write a romance novel." Jade chuckles as she rests her head against his chest "You'd make women's' hearts melt."

"Did I make your heart melt?"

"A lil."

"I'm glad." He smirks "But in all seriousness, can we talk about something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Do you want to stay here?"

"Like, in the apartment?"

"No, like in New York." Beck clarifies "We've never talked about if this was permanent or not. Obviously we've been here because you've been going to school here. But now that you've graduated, do you still want to stay?"

"Well if we don't stay here, where would we go?" She asks him "Back to LA?"

"It's an option." Beck shrugs

"I like New York." Jade tells him "I think it still has more to offer us."

"I agree with you." Beck nods "So it's settled, we'll stay here for now."

And the city does in fact have more to offer them. Beck books a supporting role in an action movie that films in Brooklyn, and Jade gets the lead in a the pilot for a new television drama that gets picked up. Both of their careers start to take off, and before long both of them start to experience the success they had so badly wanted and worked so very hard for.

The first thing they do with their new paychecks, which are larger than they know what to do with, is ditch their studio apartment. It had done its job when they needed it to, and they had made plenty of memories within it, but now it seems ridiculous for them to still be living there when they can afford something more spacious and practical.

They move to an apartment on the Upper East Side with a beautiful view of Manhattan. After living in the RV, and then in the studio for so long, they almost have more space than they know what to do with in their new apartment. It's technically a duplex and spans two floors of their building. They enter the apartment on the nineteenth floor and immediately walk into a large foyer which leads into a huge corner living room and dining area all with large windows and high ceilings. The kitchen is spacious and modern with large windows, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, which is a huge step up from the tiny little kitchenette they had in the studio. Off the foyer is a half bathroom, as well as two large bedrooms both with en-suite baths and custom closets. There's also a smaller bedroom right off of the dining room that they intend to use as a shared office space. The staircase off of the foyer leads up to an open den area on the twentieth floor. There's another bedroom, a full bathroom, a half bathroom, and the laundry room upstairs too, as well as the master suite. It's the largest bedroom in the apartment and has two walk-in closets and a full bathroom. The building itself also has plenty of amenities, including a 24-hour doorman and concierge, fitness center, indoor pool, steam, sauna and massage room, children's playroom and conference room.

"Can you believe this?" Jade grins as she twirls around the empty living room "This is ours!"

"Pretty spectacular, isn't it?" Beck smirks as he watches her dance around "Well worth all of the hard work we had to put in to get here."

Jade runs over to him and jumps into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. They both laugh as they rest their foreheads against one another, then lean in to share a kiss.

"Y'know what the first piece of furniture we buy for this place should be?" Beck asks her

"Hm?"

"A real bed."

"Sounds perfect." Jade agrees "The comfiest king-size bed that we can find."

Eventually, their new apartment is fully furnished. They pack up the last boxes from their studio, and make sure everything looks exactly as it did when they moved in.

"Crazy to see it this empty again." Beck sighs as he flips the light off for the last time "It looks even smaller somehow."

"I can't believe we lived here for so long." Jade admits "I mean, after just one week in the new place I have no idea how we did it."

"We were just thankful to have somewhere to live." Beck reminds her "And we were young, so we didn't know any better."

They had been nineteen when they moved in originally. Nineteen year-old newlyweds who barely had any money to their names. Beck is newly twenty-two now, and Jade is twenty-one still but will turn twenty-two soon enough. They're still young, and they still have a lot to learn, but they're working now and successful and can provide for themselves.

"It's time for another young couple to move in here now." Jade sighs "Learn how to live and grow together, make some new memories."

"Yeah." Beck agrees, wrapping an arm around her waist to lead her out the door "Let's get out of here so that they can have their turn."

* * *

Jade's TV show is canceled after its first season. She's disappointed, but not overly heartbroken. After seeing how much fun Beck has had making movies, she decides that wants to try her hand at that as well.

They made a pact at the very beginning when their careers first started to take off. They're not allowed to take movie roles at the same time, unless both movies are filming in New York. There's no way they could both be off on opposite sides of the country, or even opposite sides of the world, filming all the time. They would never see each other and it would be detrimental to their relationship. But a unique opportunity comes along for them, and they jump at the chance to take it.

They're cast opposite each other in a Mr. and Mrs. Smith-esque action movie. It films in Miami and the young couple moves there for three months to work. It's a new experience for both of them, both filming on location rather than on a set and working together, but they come to find that they enjoy themselves very much.

Only after the first trailer is released does the general public realize that the two stars are actually a real-life couple. And not just any real-life couple, a real-life married couple. The world becomes obsessed with the story of the high school sweethearts who made it big, which not only helps create buzz for the movie but makes them look desirable to other casting directors as well. Before the movie even premieres, they both have dozens of offers for other projects streaming in.

The movie premieres in LA, and both Beck and Jade invite their parents to attend with them. They request not to walk the red carpet and be photographed, which the young couple understands, and travel to the premiere separately. Beck and Jade, however, arrive in a limo and are greeted by hundreds of photographers and screaming fans.

"There's a lot of people here." Jade says to her husband through smiling teeth

She's walked red carpets before, usually for one of Beck's movies but sometimes for other events that they've been invited to, but this is for sure the biggest turn out that she's ever seen.

"You alright?" Beck asks her

Jade nods, and Beck squeezes her hand reassuringly.

They pose for pictures together and separately. Cat even runs over to get in a few shots as well. She's made quite the name for herself in the music industry by now, and was even able to sneak a song onto the film's soundtrack. Robbie is in attendance with her, and the two are still going strong. After graduating he landed a job as a writer for a popular sketch-comedy show that films in New York, giving Cat an excuse to visit whenever she can. Photographers take pictures of the four of them, and the next day there will be multiple stories about the long-standing friendship of the two couples.

"Beck! Jade!" A reporter yells to them "Can I have a minute?"

"Of course." Beck nods as he escorts Jade over

"How are you guys doing tonight?"

"We're great." Jade tells her, exchanging a happy look with her husband "We're so happy that we got the turnout that we did."

"Well this is a very highly anticipated movie." The reporter reminds them "Some of which can be attributed to you two. What is it like suddenly being Hollywood's favorite couple?"

"I don't know about favorite..." Jade chuckles "We're very grateful for all of the love and support that everyone has shown us."

"Is it true you two have been together since high school?"

"Eighth grade, actually." Beck smirks, wrapping an arm around Jade's waist "Which might be high school in some places, but for us that was middle school."

"Oh wow, so you guys have been together for..."

"Eight years." Jade tells the reporter "Married for three."

"And now you get to star in a movie together. That's pretty amazing."

"Yeah." Jade agrees "It really is."


	13. The Very Unexpected

When they're twenty-three, something very unexpected happens.

"Beck?" Jade calls to him from the master bathroom "Beck!"

There's no answer. Living in this apartment is so much different from living in the studio. In the studio they could see each other at all times, unless one of them was in the bathroom but even then they could hear each other when they called out. Now, if they're not in the same room there's a solid chance one of them will have to search the whole apartment to find the other.

Jade descends the staircase to the first floor of the apartment and calls out her husband's name again.

"I'm in the office!" He calls back to her

She walks across the living room and through the dining room, stopping in the doorway to the office. Beck is sitting in one of the chairs, reading over a new script that had just been sent to him. When he notices her he looks up with a smile, but his expression changes immediately when he notices her own.

"Are you okay?" He asks her, his voice full of concern

"I don't know." She admits, entering the room

He stretches out his arms to her and she sits down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wraps his own around her waist.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"I think I'm pregnant." She tells him

"What makes you think that?" He asks her calmly, trying to keep his demeanor in check so that he doesn't freak her out more

"The positive pregnancy test sitting on the bathroom counter upstairs."

"Are you serious?"

Jade says nothing as she nods her head, a worried expression on her face. Together they go upstairs to the master bathroom and Beck sees for himself that the pregnancy test she had taken is in fact positive.

"I was late and I haven't been feeling the best lately so I figured I would take the test just to rule out the possibility but...it's positive." Jade sighs, running a hand through her hair "I don't know how this happened."

"I mean, I have a pretty good idea of how it happened." Beck chuckles

"That's not what I meant." Jade rolls her eyes as smacks his shoulder with the back of her hand "We've been trying so hard to _avoid_ getting pregnant."

"Well, this is something we wanted some day anyways, right?" He reminds her

They've discussed having kids multiple times. Both agree that they want children, and with Beck being an only child and Jade having such a large age gap between her and her only sibling...they knew that they wanted more than one and that they want to have them close together. But it was always something they discussed happening much further in the future when they were in their late twenties, not right now.

"Well yeah, I know." Jade nods "But not for a few years at least. This is like, the worst time for this to happen."

Sure, they've been together for almost nine years now and have been married for close to four, and they have more than enough money to support a child, but their careers are just starting to take off. And they're still so young.

"There's never a good time for it to happen." Beck assures her, wrapping her up in a hug "But we're in this together and we're going to figure it out, okay?"

"Okay."

"Hey." He squeezes her tightly "I love you."

"I love you too." She tells him

They make an appointment for her to see an OGBYN and she confirms what they already knew. Jade is pregnant, seven weeks pregnant to be exact. They get to see the baby on the sonogram machine as well, and although it doesn't look like anything more than a tiny gray bean, neither one of them has ever been so in love with something before.

Their parents, Cat, Robbie, Tori, and Andre are the only ones they share the news with at first. They decide that they won't make a public announcement until they absolutely can't hide it anymore, just in case. Of course, their friends and family are over the moon. Cat begs Jade not to have the baby early so that her tour will be over before he or she is born. Jade tells her that she'll try her best but that she can't make any promises.

As the weeks go on, Jade becomes more and more comfortable with the idea of having a child. She's still terrified of the idea of having another person relying on her when she still doesn't have life completely figured out herself but she's slowly becoming accustomed to it, especially because she knows that she has Beck by her side.

"Which bedroom do you think we should put the baby in when the time comes?" She asks him as they lay in bed one night "The other one on this floor?"

"That's what I was thinking, yeah." Beck agrees "That way its easier for us to get to him or her in the middle of the night when we need to. And then when they're older we can move them into one of the bedrooms downstairs and put the next one up here with us."

"The next one?" Jade laughs

"We've always said we wanted more than one, right?" He reminds her

"Well yeah." She shrugs "But I've barely wrapped my head around the idea of the first one. Two...two just sounds crazy."

"Let's just focus on this first one then." Beck smiles, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him "How's the little one doing?"

"Okay as far as I know." Jade tells him

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" He asks her "I've heard that moms can usually tell just by a feeling that they have."

"I'm not sure yet." Jade admits "What do you want it to be?"

"Dunno." Beck says "Having a son would be amazing, but I also really love the idea of a little girl."

"The idea of a little girl terrifies me."

"Oh?" Beck chuckles "How so?"

"A little clone of myself?" Jade scoffs "That I have to set an example for and be a role model to?"

"I hate to break it to ya, babe...but you'd have to set an example and be a role model for a little boy too."

"But at least he'd look to you for most things."

"Would he?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"I think you'd be great with a little girl." Beck admits "You don't realize it yet, but you'll love having a mini-me."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Alright."

"Goodnight." Beck laughs kissing her temple "I love you both."

"Yeah yeah." Jade smirks "Goodnight, we love you too."

* * *

Jade awakes in the middle of the night with a terrible pain in her abdomen. She tries switching positions and laying on different sides, but nothing works. Eventually she gets up to go to the bathroom, and almost screams when she moves the sheets off of her body.

Her lower half is completely covered in blood.

"Beck." She shakes her husband awake violently "Beck, wake up! Wake up! We need to go to the hospital!"

"Hm?" He sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes "Wha-holy shit! Are you okay?"

"I don't know!" Jade exclaims "Something is wrong, we need to go!"

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Beck nods, scrambling out of bed

He sleeps in his boxers and a t-shirt, so he grabs the first pair of pants that he can find and pulls them on along with a pair of socks. Jade changes into new underwear and pants to avoid creating a bigger mess, and puts on a pad to make sure they stay clean. Together they grab their coats and shoes and make their way downstairs together. Beck doesn't even bother to call a driver for them, but flags down the first taxi that he sees and orders the driver to take them to the nearest hospital.

"Hey, aren't you the guy from that movie?" The driver asks Beck

"Probably." Beck sighs "But sir, this is an emergency, we really need to get to the closest hospital as quickly as possible."

"Of course."

Jade is quiet for the entire taxi ride. She knows that these situations rarely end positively, and is already imagining the worst case scenario.

Beck holds her hand tightly as he rushes her into the emergency room. The nurse at the desk directs them up to the second floor of the hospital where obstetrics is located, and the doctor on call sees them immediately.

"How far along are you?" The doctor asks as she spreads sonogram gel on Jade's abdomen

"Eleven weeks." Jade tells her

"Alright, well we'll just take a look here and see what's going on." The doctor tells them calmly "Spotting can occur for all kinds of reasons, we shouldn't jump to conclusions."

Jade squeezes Beck's hand tightly as they both watch the sonogram screen, waiting anxiously for the soft purr of their baby's heartbeat to fill the room like it had when they had first visited the doctor a few weeks prior. But it never does. After a few minutes, the doctor says the thing that they had both been dreading since they arrived.

"I'm so sorry." The doctor apologizes as she shuts the sonogram machine off "But it appears as if you've had a miscarriage."

Jade begins to cry and Beck immediately wraps her up in a hug, also feeling as if he could cry but wanting to stay strong for his wife. He asks the doctor if they can have a moment alone, and she answers with a sympathetic nod before disappearing out into the hallway.

"This is all my fault." Jade cries as she squeezes Beck tightly "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Jade." He tells her "Sometimes these things just...well they just happen for no reason at all."

"But why?"

"I don't know, baby." He frowns as he kisses the top of her head gently "I just don't know."

* * *

The days that follow are incredibly painful for Jade, both emotionally and physically. Not only is she dealing with the emotional pain of losing her child, but her body is also trying to undo all of the preparations it made for that child as well. The doctor had told them that because she had lost the pregnancy so early on, that her body would be able to dispose of all of the tissue all on its own. It feels like the worst period she's ever had, and she spends most of the time in bed curled up in the fetal position with heating pads on her back and on her stomach.

Beck doesn't know what to do. Of course he's devastated at the loss of their child as well, but he knows the sadness that he's feeling is absolutely nothing when compared to what his wife is going through. Most days he just lays in bed next to her, holding her while she cries if she'll allow it. There are some instances where the cramping is just too painful, and she won't allow him to touch her at all. Not even to hold her hand. When that happens, he still stays with her but keeps his distance.

"I'm a terrible mother." Jade mutters to him one day "My only job was to keep that baby safe so it could grow, and I couldn't even do that."

"You're not a terrible mother." Beck assures her "Unfortunately, miscarriages are a very common thing. Millions of women have them every day."

"When we saw the doctor the first time, she told us everything looked healthy." Jade reminds him "What happened in that month that followed for things to go so wrong?"

"Jade, it wasn't anything that you did. It just happened."

"But why?"

"I don't know why." Beck sighs "But I do know that I love you, no matter what. And I know that we're going to get through this."

After a week though, Jade doesn't show any signs of improvement, even in the slightest. She still refuses to leave the bedroom, and only gets out of bed to use the bathroom and shower. Beck has to force her to eat most days, and he doesn't know what else he can do to help her feel better. He feels defeated. He's her husband, he promised to be there for her every minute of every day and to love her...and right now loving her and being there for her just aren't enough. So, he calls in reinforcements.

"Hi." Beck answers the door with a defeated tone in his voice "Thank you so much for coming."

"Of course." Kaitlyn nods as she enters the apartment, opening her arms to hug her son-in-law "How are you doing? Obviously you're devastated, but otherwise?"

"I'm alright." Beck assures her "I've come to terms with it. But Jade..."

"She's having a harder time." Kaitlyn finishes for him

"She hasn't left our room in over a week." Beck tells her "I just...I don't know what else to do."

"Other than letting her know that you're there for her and continuing to love her, there might not be much else you can do."

Beck takes her coat and suitcase to the guest bedroom as Kaitlyn makes her way upstairs to find her daughter. She finds her in bed, just like Beck said she would, with the curtains closed, lights off, and an old black and white movie playing on TV.

"Mom?" Jade sounds surprised to see her "What are you doing here?"

"Beck called." Kaitlyn tells her "I got on the first flight."

"I just can't stop feeling sad." Jade admits, tears forming in the corners of her eyes "I did everything they told me to."

"Shhh..." Kaitlyn says quietly as she crawls into bed next to her daughter and takes her in her arms "Jade, it's alright."

"I killed my baby."

"You certainly did not." Kaitlyn says firmly "And don't you ever say that again. The pregnancy just wasn't viable so your body let nature run its course. It's as simple as that."

"I'm just so upset, Mom." Jade cries "I can't make myself feel better."

"That's okay..." Kaitlyn tells her, rubbing her back gently "That's why Beck and I are here."

"He's being so supportive and I'm being such a bitch to him..."

"He understands." Kaitlyn assures her "He just wants to help you feel better, that's why he called me."

Beck opts to sleep in the guest room that night and allows Kaitlyn to sleep with Jade instead. He knows how much she needs her right now, and doesn't want to get in the way of that. If having her mother close by will help his wife, then he's more than happy to sleep somewhere else.

Jade is awoken in the middle of the night by someone else climbing into bed with her on her left side. Her mother is already fast asleep next to her on her right side, and Beck had told her he was staying in the guest bedroom that night. As her eyes adjust to the darkness in the bedroom, she sees that the person next to her is too small to be Beck anyways.

"Cat?" She murmurs tiredly

"Hey, Jadey."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jade asks her "You're supposed to be on tour."

"I know that." Cat nods "But tomorrow is an off day between shows, and my best friend needs me right now."

"Did you come straight from your show? It's almost three in the morning."

"I know. I went straight from the arena in St. Louis to the airport to get here as soon as I could. I'll stay with you tomorrow and then wake up the next morning and get on a plane to Nashville."

"I can't believe you."

"You would do the same for me." Cat assures her "Now get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning."

"It is morning."

"You know what I meant."

The next morning, or really a few hours later, Kaitlyn is the first to wake up. She climbs out of bed and pads across the room to open the curtains and flood the bedroom with light. The sudden brightness immediately pulls Cat and Jade out of their own sleep as well.

"Good morning, ladies." She smiles "Rise and shine."

"Mom..."

"You've had your time to lay in bed and wallow, Jade." Kaitlyn reminds her "You're never going to start feeling better if you don't get up and do something."

She grabs a change of clothes and her toiletries out of her suitcase and disappears into the master bathroom to shower.

"She's right, you know." Cat yawns as she sits up "Just laying around won't do you any good."

"Yeah, I know." Jade sighs, grabbing her best friend's hand and squeezing it tightly "Hey, thanks for flying all the way here just for me."

"You're welcome." Cat smiles "Like I said, you would do the same for me."

"I know, but it still means a lot."

"I know." Cat nods "And Jadey? I'm really sorry about the baby..."

"S'okay, Cat. There's nothing you could have done." Jade tells her quietly as she looks downward

"I wish I could do something to make it better."

"You being here makes it a little better." Jade smiles a bit

It's the first time she's done anything even remotely close to smiling in over a week.

When Kaitlyn finishes showering, Cat takes a turn, and then Jade. The hot water feels relaxing as it falls all over her body. Washing her hair and scrubbing her body clean makes her feel a bit more put together, even though all she's done since her last shower is lay in bed. She's still bleeding some, although not as badly as she was originally, so she has to put a pad on when she steps out, but then she dresses herself in leggings and one of Beck's sweatshirts instead of the flannel pajama bottoms and tank tops she had been basically living in the past few days.

"Better?" She asks as she walks out of the bathroom and into the bedroom

"Much." Kaitlyn nods with a smile

Beck is surprised to hear noise when he exits the guest bedroom on the first floor of the apartment. He expected Kaitlyn and Cat to stay upstairs with Jade for a majority of the day, so he's quite shocked to see all three of them in the kitchen when he enters.

"What's going on in here?" He laughs as he walks in

"Well these two slept through breakfast, in their usual fashion." Kaitlyn tells him "So, I figured it would be best if we moved on to lunch instead. Would you like a grilled cheese?"

"I'd love one, thank you."

He walks over to his wife, who is sitting at a barstool at the kitchen island next to Cat, and wraps his arms around her waist before kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Hey." He says quietly to her "It's good to see you up."

"It feels good to be up." Jade admits

"Really?"

She says nothing, but nods in response.

Kaitlyn makes their lunch and they all eat together. She shares stories from home, and Cat shares stories about her time on the road and what it's like to be constantly traveling. Jade doesn't say much, but Beck can tell she's listening to everyone when they talk. She even laughs a few times when Cat tells them about crazy things her fans have done. She seems more like herself, and he's grateful.

They spend the afternoon watching movies, mostly comedies, and playing cards in the living room. They order pizza for dinner and eat it on the floor while they play Monopoly. Eventually, Kaitlyn begins to feel tired and excuses herself to go to bed, this time in the guest room like she had originally intended. Cat goes into the office to call her manager and finalize flight plans for the morning, and Beck and Jade are left alone together for the first time in over thirty-six hours.

"You feeling any better?" He asks her

"A little bit." She admits "Thank you...for calling them. Their being here has helped a lot."

"You're welcome." Beck nods "I'm just sorry I couldn't give you enough support on my own."

"Don't say that." Jade shakes her head "You've been...absolutely perfect this week."

"You think so?"

"Yes, of course." Jade sighs, moving herself onto his lap "You were making sure that I was showering and that I was eating and when you saw that I was still struggling, you knew exactly who to call to back you up. I could not get through this without you."

"Well, I'm happy to help." He smiles a bit as they share a kiss "You gonna be okay?"

"I don't feel like me anymore, Beck." She admits "I know we weren't ready for this at all, but it still feels like there's part of me missing now. I don't know how I'll get through it."

"I'll help you." He promises "And Cat will too, while she's here. And your mom, she'll be here a few more days too. If anyone can get through this babe, it's you. You're the strongest person that I know."

"Thank you, that means a lot." Jade smiles as she rests her head against his shoulder "I love you."

"I love you too."


	14. Silver Linings

Beck and Jade decide that it's best not to immediately start trying to have a baby again. They had never intended to get pregnant in the first place, and they think the best decision moving forward is to just focus on their careers and each other. So that's exactly what they do.

It takes a few months for Jade to really start to feel one hundred percent like herself again, and to feel fully able to commit herself to some kind of project. When she finally feels ready, Mona arranges for her to audition for a part on an HBO mini-series. There is a lot of buzz and anticipation surrounding the project already, as its a print to screen adaptation of a very popular novel. Jade is nervous about the audition, its a much different role than anything she's ever played before and there's already so many expectations surrounding it. Beck helps her to run lines and prepare, but she still feels a little shaky when she walks in to read for the part. The director loves her though, and he offers her the role right there in the room.

Within a week there's a press release announcing that Jade will be playing the female lead and the public's anticipation of the project grows higher and higher. Jade decides to read the novel while she waits for filming to start to help her better get into her character's mindset. The story is set in the eighties and follows the journey of a photo-journalist, who Jade will be playing, that travels to Rome to search for answers about her mother, who had disappeared there fifteen years prior. She meets a mysterious young reporter upon her arrival, who of course has connections, and he offers to help her with her investigation. Things are obviously not what they seem, secrets are revealed, family drama plays out and ends up contributing more to the plot than Jade had expected, and overall the book itself is just addicting. After listening to her rave about how good it is, Beck decides to read the book as well and is very impressed. He's also incredibly proud that that his wife gets to be a part of bringing something so well-written and beloved to life for people to enjoy. Almost exactly one month after Jade books the role, they're both on a plane to Italy so she can begin filming on location.

The production company anticipates that filming will take approximately four months, so Beck and Jade opt to rent a place in Rome rather than live out of their suitcases in a hotel during that time. The apartment is significantly smaller than their one in New York, it's only one bedroom and one bathroom and only sits on one floor. But it is a penthouse, and there is a large terrance balcony that provides them with a beautiful view of Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori. It's early spring when they first arrive, so the weather is warm and they're able to take full advantage of it too. Jade describes it as a 'cozy little place', and the young couple is very much looking forward to spending the next few months together there.

"It's like the honeymoon we never had." Beck smiles as he wraps an arm around her waist, looking out at the beautiful view of the city in front of them

They hadn't been able to afford to take a honeymoon when they first got married. They were nineteen, broke, and trying to save up as much money as possible so they could afford the cost of living in New York. Their parents had sent them to Disneyland for the day, but it wasn't anything close to what either of them imagined as a real honeymoon.

"Except I'm here to _work_." Jade reminds him as he leans down to kiss her "And this role is a really important one, so I need to make sure I'm on my game."

"Oh don't worry. I know and understand that." Beck assures her "I'm sure we'll still be able to find plenty of time to have some fun while we're here though."

Jade enjoys working on the series more than she ever imagined that she would. Not only is the cast and crew amazing, but the locations that they get to film at are so naturally beautiful. The script pushes her and her acting abilities to their limits and helps her to grow as a professional and as a person, and before they have even finished the first episode she decides that it's her favorite project that she's ever worked on.

"What about that movie that we did together?" Beck teases her

"That was a different kind of special." Jade tells him as she climbs into bed next to him, a breath-taking view of the city visible just outside their window "The experience of getting to work together was amazing but the script wasn't really anything special, no offense to those writers or anything. But this...this is something completely different, Beck. The story is just incredible and I'm being challenged as an actress every single day. I'm just getting so much more out of it."

"I understand." Beck chuckles as they snuggle up together "The projects that challenge you and help you grow are always more enjoyable. They keep you on your toes, no two days are ever the same."

"Exactly." Jade agrees with him "And...fuck, I feel so guilty because I find myself constantly thinking that none of this would be possible if I were still pregnant right now. Like no way would I have been able to for one, even book this role, and two, just pick up and move to Italy."

"Don't feel guilty." Beck shakes his head "We weren't ready for a baby yet, everything worked out the way it was supposed to. The universe is giving us more time."

There are days when Beck follows Jade to set. He loves watching her work and is so impressed by her and proud of her every single time that he does, but he finds other ways to pass time in Italy as well. He's begun work on the script for a short film that he hopes to be able to direct himself. He carries his laptop with him almost all the time so that he can write whenever the inspiration strikes, whether that be in the penthouse, at a small cafe in the city he decided to wander into that day, or at a beachfront restaurant. He also brought his camera along, and spends days at a time taking photographs and documenting the trip.

When Jade has a day off, they almost always take advantage of it and go out and do something. They spend days at the beach, exploring the city, hiking, or once they even take the train to Venice and spend the day there. The two of them love taking advantage of the time to spend together as a couple and enjoy each other's company, even after being together for so long.

All good things must come to an end though, and eventually production on the series does wrap and it's time for them to return to New York. Neither of them realize how much they had missed being home until they arrive back there. Their time in Italy had been just what they needed at the time, but it feels good to be back.

"Looks like even overseas we can't escape the paps." Jade sighs, scrolling through an article on her iPad before tossing it to Beck for him to read

"Beck and Jade's Roman Holiday..." Beck chuckles as he reads the article's title "It's clever, I'll give them that."

"Why do they care what we're doing in our free time?" Jade sighs "I mean, look at all of those pictures. None of them have anything to do with the series at all. It's all pictures of us out to dinner, or on one of those scooters, or kissing on the beach or-"

"People care _because_ of the series." Beck reminds her "It's highly anticipated, remember? It's creating buzz. Not to mention that you and I were both household names long before we went to Rome."

"It's still annoying."

"At least all of the pictures were taken in public." He shrugs "No one was sneaking into our apartment and setting up cameras."

"As far as we know."

"C'mon, Jade."

"Hey, someone hid in the back of Cat's uber to try and meet her." Jade reminds her husband "I don't put anything past anyone anymore."

"Is Cat in town right now?" Beck asks "We should see if her and Robbie want to get together for dinner."

"She has a show here at the end of the month." Jade shrugs "But otherwise I think she's working on another album."

"While she's still touring the last one?" Beck chuckles "Typical Cat."

When Cat's tour rolls into Madison Square Garden, both Beck and Jade attend as her special guests. They arrive hours before the show starts and Cat and Jade immediately start talking and catching up, while Beck and Robbie do the same. The two men are significantly more relaxed about their conversation, and decide to each have a beer as well while the girls talk.

It doesn't take long for Cat's fans to figure out that both Beck and Jade are present at the show. It's very common knowledge by now, especially to their fans, that Cat and Jade are best friends and have been for a very long time. As soon as someone catches a glimpse of a Jade as she passes through the backstage area, it only takes about five minutes for the information to spread all over Twitter.

Jade pops out on stage a few times throughout the show in an attempt to scare Cat, but she's never successful because the increased screams from the fans as soon as they catch sight of her give her away to her friend. During one of the songs she stays out and dances around with Cat before returning backstage to watch with Beck and Robbie. Cat brings all three of them out with her during the final encore to dance, wave to fans, and take a final bow with her. At that point her fans are absolutely losing their minds, because not only is Cat's best friend, who happens to be an already famous actress, out there with her...so is her husband, and Cat's boyfriend. The four of them laugh about how insane it was later as they take a car from the arena to Robbie's apartment, and they spend the rest of the night laughing, catching up, and drinking too much.

* * *

Jade's mini-series receives the highest television ratings of the year so far when it premieres. Over eleven million people tune in to watch the first installment, and by the time the sixth and final installment airs over thirteen and a half million are watching. Thanks to the ability to stream shows even after they have aired, the hype lasts longer than it would have five or even ten years prior. People are watching it multiple times and encouraging others to watch it as well. It's a better reaction than anyone could have ever imagined. Jade is overwhelmed with all of the positive reviews that come out of it, and Beck is so proud of her he feels like his heart could combust at any moment. They celebrate in bed together every night for almost two weeks straight.

"Careful!" Jade laughs as she swings her fist at her husband's face "If you leave your face open, I'm going to hit you!"

"Y'know, when you asked me if I would come boxing with you today, I thought you meant both of us in gloves at our own punching bags." Beck says as he puts a punch mitt up to block her punch "I didn't think I was going to be used for target practice."

"We can switch later if you want." She teases him as she hits his punch mitt "Didn't you just play a boxer in a movie?"

"Well yeah." Beck chuckles "I was acting though. It was all fake."

"So?"

"Whatever..." He smirks "Just don't actually hit my face, okay? That's the money maker."

"Oh, conceited much?"

"You know what I meant."

Jade had invited her husband along for her morning workout because she needed a sparring partner and her trainer wasn't available. Working out together isn't abnormal for them, but Jade has seemed to enjoy boxing way more than Beck ever has. He's happy to help her out though.

They dance around the ring for a little while longer, Jade taking punches and the occasional kick and Beck blocking them with the punch pads. Eventually Jade's phone, which she has plugged into the stereo system, begins ringing and she pulls her gloves off to answer it.

"Are we done?" Beck asks

"We'll see." Jade smirks as she answers the phone "Hey Cat, what's up?"

"Jadey!" Cat is pracically screaming "Have you been online at all today?"

"No, we've been at the gym. Why?" Jade asks her "Why are you screaming at me?"

"You're nominated for an Emmy!" Cat exclaims "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series!"

"Shut up." Jade almost doesn't believe her friend

"Look it up if you don't believe me!" Cat says excitedly "Jadey! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Cat." Jade grins, shooting Beck an excited glance "I gotta go now, okay? I'll call you later?"

"Kk!"

"What was that about?" Beck asks as Jade ends the call and plugs her phone back into the stereo

"Uh..." Jade hesitates with a smile, stepping through the ropes back into the boxing ring "I've been nominated for an Emmy."

"No way!" Beck exclaims as he rips the punch pads off of his hands

"Way!" Jade grins

Beck picks her up and spins her around before placing her back on the ground and pressing a passionate kiss to her lips.

"I'm so proud of you!" He tells her "We need to celebrate."

"It's only a nomination." Jade reminds him "I probably won't even win."

"But you might."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

The night of the award show, Beck and Jade walk the red carpet together. She wears a stunning strapless purple gown as she poses for pictures and gives interviews. Beck is more than happy to let her steal all of the spotlight, there's been many red carpets where their roles have been reversed, and he knows how hard she worked to deserve this nomination.

The series as a whole received a total of six nominations, so plenty of Jade's cast mates as well as their director are all in attendance at the show as well. They're all seated together in the same general section of the theater. Beck and Jade have been asked to present the award together for Outstanding Direction of a Comedy Series, which is awarded relatively early on in the show. Beck reads the name from the envelope while Jade holds the statuette and eventually hands it off to the winner. She can't help but notice how exciting it is to hold it, and how badly she wants to win one of her own. She returns to her seat holding tightly to Beck's hand, already anxious about her category.

Her category finally pops up about three quarters of the way through the show. A popular late night television host walks onto the stage holding the winning envelope in one hand and the statuette in the other. He announces the nominees and their projects, and Jade smiles and waves to the camera when it lands on her as her name is listed.

"No matter what happens..." Beck whispers to her as he squeezes her hand tightly "...you're a winner in my eyes. You should be really proud of yourself."

"Thank you, baby." She smiles a bit

They share one last reassuring glance before turning their attention back to the stage.

"And the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series goes to..." The presenter begins "Jade Oliver, for Branches."

Jade's eye grow wide with shock as Beck takes her face in his hands and kisses her. She had really wanted to win but didn't think she actually stood any chance at all, especially with all of the other actresses that were nominated in her category. She stands up and hugs Beck before making her way down the aisle to the stage to accept the award.

"Don't trip, don't trip." She mutters to herself through a smile as she climbs the stairs

The presenter hands her the statuette and gives her a congratulatory hug before stepping to the side so Jade can make her acceptance speech.

"Wow, I really did not expect this at all." Jade chuckles nervously as she speaks into the microphone "I know everyone says that when they win, but it's the truth. First of all, I really want to thank whoever decided I was worthy enough of being nominated for this award and that I should even be the one to win it. I also want to thank my amazing director, Steven, for giving me the opportunity to play this role and bring it to life, as well as to the author, Dawn, for allowing me to do so. Thank you to Mom, Dad, Chris, Angie, and Tyler, for being just...the best and most supportive family out there. Thank you to Cat Valentine, for being the best friend that a girl could ask for and being there for me through it all. And most importantly thank you to Mr. Beck Oliver, my amazing husband of five years now and my partner for even longer. You are the most amazing human being, my rock, my biggest supporter, my everything. Thank you for encouraging me to take risks and to be myself, and for supporting me through all of the ups and downs. I love you more than I did yesterday but not nearly as much as I will tomorrow. And lastly, I just wanted to tell all of the little girls out there that no dream is too big. You can do _whatever_ you set your mind to with the right amount of hard work and perseverance. Don't let anyone out there tell you otherwise. Thank you everyone, enjoy the rest of your evening."


	15. Perfect

"Beck?" Jade calls from the master bathroom into the bedroom "It's done."

"Three minutes already?" He asks as he walks into the bathroom "It didn't feel like that long."

"Really? Because to me it felt like an eternity."

"Doesn't matter." He assures her "All that matters is the fact that it's done and all that stands between us and knowing is just flipping it over."

"Right." Jade nods, reaching for the plastic stick on the counter "Oh, I can't do it. You do it."

They're a bit older now. Beck has recently turned twenty-five and Jade will do so in the upcoming months. After some discussion and consideration, they've decided that they're ready to have a baby. Really ready this time, not just ready in the sense that they're okay with going along with a decision that the universe made for them. They're ready to try on their own. After about six weeks of trying on their own, Jade's period is late.

"I'll do it." Beck nods, placing a hand on her shoulder as he reaches for the test and turns it over, revealing the results on the other side

"Oh my god." Jade gasps

There's two pink lines staring back at them from the center of the plastic test on the counter, confirming exactly what they hoped it would.

"You're pregnant!" Beck exclaims "We're having a baby!"

He pulls her close to him and kisses her, but notices immediately that she's not nearly as enthusiastic as he is.

"What's wrong?" He asks her "This is what we wanted!"

"What if something goes wrong again?" She says quietly "What if we get ourselves all excited only to have it turn out just like last time? I can't go through that again..."

"It's going to be different." He promises her "I'm manifesting that and putting it out into the universe."

"You're right." She nods "You're right, if we manifest it...then it'll happen. Everything is going to be fine."

"That's my girl." Beck grins, kissing the top of her head "Hey. We're having a _baby_."

"We are." Jade laughs "We're having a baby."

This time around they choose to keep the news to themselves for the time being, just incase. They see a doctor to confirm the pregnancy and make sure everything is healthy, which it is, but don't share the news with any friends or family just yet.

With no one else knowing about the baby, Beck is Jade's only support system through the first twelve weeks of her pregnancy. He's there for her through all of the horrible morning sickness, which they learn comes at all times of the day not just in the morning, all of the hormonal changes, and all of the fear about the possibility of losing the baby again. She does make it to her second trimester though, and at that point everything is still looking incredibly healthy.

They're in LA for Easter when they share the news with their families. Their parents are not only happy for them after knowing how much pain the loss of the baby two years prior had caused them, but are also ecstatic at the thought of their first grandchild. Jade's younger brother, Tyler, who is now sixteen is thrilled at the thought of being someone's fun uncle. But his father is quick to remind him that he'd be competing with Robbie Shapiro and Andre Harris for that title as well.

Their friends couldn't be happier for them either. Cat is again getting ready to tour and begs Jade to 'keep the baby in' until she has a break and can come back to be there. Once again, Jade promises to do her best.

When Jade is sixteen weeks, they have another doctor's appointment. There's the usual physical exam to make sure everything is okay with Jade, and then a sonogram to check on the baby. She's just barely showing at this point, so getting to see the baby on the screen in front of them is a reminder to Beck and Jade both that there's a little life growing inside of her that they both helped create.

"Everything looks great, you guys." The doctor assures them as she moves the wand around Jade's abdomen "The spine is developing just the way that it's supposed to and they're moving around quite a bit, so those muscles are getting stronger too."

"It's moving around?" Jade asks "Why can't I feel it?"

"The baby is still tiny." The doctor informs her "So it's completely normal for you not to be able to feel anything. He or she is about the size of an orange right now, but over the next few weeks they'll grow to be the size of a banana and their arms and legs will catch up in proportion. So you'll start feeling that movement real soon. You're also going to start showing more."

"Oh, okay." Jade nods "As long as there's nothing to worry about?"

"Nothing at all." The doctor assures her "Would you two like to find out the gender?"

"It's not too early?" Beck asks "We can do that?"

"If you'd like."

Beck and Jade exchange a glance, both already knowing what the other wants. Of course they want to know. They're planners. They need to have as much time as possible to discuss names and figure out everything that they need to buy and then actually go and buy it.

"We want to know." Jade tells her

"Alright, let's take a look, shall we?" The doctor smiles "Now, do you want me to write this on a card for a gender reveal or-"

"No." Beck and Jade say in unison

They've already discussed that. They think gender reveal parties are stupid and unnecessary, and they want the special moment when they find out to be with just the two of them. They'll tell their family and friends later.

* * *

"How's it goin' in there, baby?" Beck smiles as he talks to Jade's abdomen "You still nice and comfy?"

"She better be." Jade scoffs, running a hand over her stomach "She still has three months left and there's no way in hell I'm letting her out before she's ready."

"Where is she?" Beck asks

"Right here."

Jade takes his hand and presses it to the left side of her abdomen. They wait for a few seconds and then both share a prideful grin when they feel their daughter's foot press up against her father's hand.

"Wow." Beck sighs "That's still so amazing to me."

"What, that she's in there? Or that she's that strong?"

"Both." Beck admits, resting his head against her stomach "She's going to grow so much while I'm gone, I can't believe I'm going to miss it."

"You mean I'm going to get so much fatter while you're gone."

"Hey now, that's not what I said." Beck chuckles "By the time I get back, she's going to be even stronger and driving you even more insane."

Beck had been offered the lead role in a period-drama movie about a World War II. It will most likely be the biggest and most successful movie he's ever worked on, but in order to film it he'll need to be on location in France for two months. Jade will not be traveling with him for the first time since they've been married, as she was advised by her doctor not to fly. She's about to move into her third trimester of pregnancy, and doesn't want to risk activating premature labor. Beck is of course upset that she can't come with him, but at this point he knows its not about him or what he wants anymore. It's about what's best for the baby.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Jade rolls her eyes "But don't worry about us, we're strong independent women who can take care of ourselves."

"Of course you are." Beck smiles at her "I'm not worried at all."

But he does worry while he's away, and he can't help it. It's the longest he's ever been away from Jade since he met her, and while FaceTime is great it doesn't do justice to seeing the person you love face-to-face in front of you. Jade struggles a bit with it too, although she'd never admit that to Beck. Pregnancy is hard. Her body is changing and her hormones are all over the place, not to mention the fact that she has to pee every twenty minutes and can no longer find a comfortable position to sleep in and its making her cranky.

Her mother and brother come to visit her for a long weekend right before her brother gets ready to start his junior year of high school. That cheers her up a bit, especially having someone around who has been pregnant before and knows what it's like.

"I feel like it wouldn't be this hard if he was here." She admits to her mother "He makes everything easier."

"Him being here wouldn't change anything about what's happening to your body." Her mother reminds her "There's nothing either one of you can do about that. But I promise you that once you hold that little girl in your arms for the first time, none of it will matter anymore."

"So I've been told." Jade nods

"Have you picked a name yet?" Her brother asks her as he opens the fridge "Is it too late to throw the feminine of 'Tyler' into the conversation?"

"I think the feminine of Tyler is still just Tyler." Jade reminds him with a laugh "But yes, it's too late. We've narrowed it down to three names that we really like."

"Well what are they?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would." Tyler sighs "That's why I asked."

"We'll tell you when we finally decide on what it's actually going to be." Jade tells him "We don't want anyone's opinions but our own to influence the decision."

Once Beck returns home, a huge weight is lifted off of both of their shoulders. Neither one of them needs to worry about the other, and now Beck will be there whenever the baby decides to come. He still has a few scenes left to shoot for the movie, but they're filming those in New York and he can be home at a moment's notice if he needs to be. But he doesn't. When the movie wraps, Jade is still pregnant. She's uncomfortable and cranky, but the baby is doing well.

"I want her here now..." Jade sighs as she shifts in bed, trying to get comfortable "The doctor said she's head down, and we have everything ready...I'm ready for her to come now."

"She's obviously not ready yet though." Beck reminds her as he wraps an arm around her waist and rubs her bump gently "And her being ready is the most important part."

* * *

"I think it's happening." Jade says calmly as she appears in the doorway to their office

"What?" Beck looks up from his computer "The baby? Right now?"

"I think so, yeah." Jade nods, running a hand over her bump "I know I'm not due for another week still, but my water definitely just broke."

"It did?" Beck exclaims, leaping to his feet and knocking a stack of papers over in the process "Jade, that's not an 'I think', that's an 'I know'. We have to go to the hospital!"

"Beck, it's alright." Jade assures him, taking both of his hands in her's "Just go upstairs and get the bag, and I'll call the hospital."

"No, no..." Beck leads her out of the office and into the living room, helping her sit down on the couch "You don't do anything, okay? I'll call the hospital. You just sit here and stay calm."

"I'm pretty calm already." Jade chuckles "You on the other hand..."

"I'm alright!" He assures her, already half-way up the stairs "Just stay there!"

They have a car pick them up in the alley behind their building, not wanting to alert any paparazzi that might be camping out front to the fact that Jade is in labor. Her contractions start to get worse on the drive to the hospital, and Beck notices a break in her previously calm demeanor. It's almost relieving to him, because if she's panicking he can focus on keeping her calm instead of panicking himself.

They arrive at the hospital just before eleven thirty in the morning. After hearing that Jade's water broke, she's admitted to labor and delivery immediately, and hooked up to a fetal monitor to keep an eye on the baby. At this point, Beck starts calling their parents, who all thought they had at least another week before the baby was going to arrive, to keep them updated on the situation. His mother wants to change her travel plans to be there the next morning, but after a stern look from Jade he advises her to keep her regular ticket for the following week. They don't want too many people arriving to meet the baby at once and overwhelming them.

Cat is in London, preparing to play the last show on the European leg of her tour before she heads home for a month to relax before she heads to Australia and New Zealand for the next one. She's heartbroken that the baby decided to come early and she won't be there when the she's born, but Jade assures her that whether she meets the baby a few minutes after she's born or a few days, that she's is still going to love her Auntie Cat just the same.

Jade's labor is not easy. A full twenty-four hours after she was admitted to the hospital, she's still only seven centimeters dilated and not even close to being able to push. At this point, she's given a dose of Pitocin to help speed the labor up and it helps some, but it doesn't help the fact that she's exhausted.

"I just want to sleep..." She tells Beck

"I know..." He tells her sympathetically "Hopefully that little girl decides to make her appearance soon and you'll be able to."

"We're both actors." She reminds him with a tired smile "We should have known our daughter was going to be dramatic."

Jade is finally dilated enough to push at seven thirty that night, thirty-two hours after she was first admitted. If she had gone much longer there was a possibility of needing a c-section, something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Oh my god, I can't do this!" Jade cries, an exhausted and defeated tone in her voice "I don't have any energy left."

"You _can_ do this and you will." Beck encourages her, squeezing her hand tightly "You just have to get her shoulders out, physics will do the rest."

"I'm trying, Beck. But I can't."

"Here comes another one, Jade." The doctor tells her, watching the contraction monitor "Get ready to keep pushing."

Jade lets out a scream so loud and so painful-sounding, that even Beck is scared. He had prepared himself for the worst, but somehow this seems even worse than that.

"I've got a head." The doctor tells her "C'mon, Jade! Keep it up!"

"Just a little bit more, baby." Beck encourages her "She's almost here! Think of the baby, do it for her."

Jade puts everything she has into one last push, praying that its enough to get the baby's shoulders out. The pressure on her pelvis disappears and people start cheering. Beck is kissing her and her vision is a bit fuzzy, but she sees the doctor hold up a bright pink, crying, baby that's covered in blood. She watches as a nurse clamps the baby's cord and shows Beck where to cut it, then takes her away to be cleaned up.

"You did it, Jade!" Beck says with tears in his eyes "Look, she's here!"

"She's...yeah." Jade grins as she falls back against her pillows

Her expression goes from smiling to blank almost instantly, but to Beck its as if it's happening in slow motion.

"Jade?" He says to her, shaking her shoulder a bit "Jade? What's wrong?"

A monitor on the wall starts beeping rapidly and a nurse pushes Beck out of the way as she tends to Jade.

"We need to move her, right now." The nurse says to another as they detach Jade's bed from the wall "She's hemorrhaging."

"She's what?" Beck asks, but gets no response "What does that mean?"

Jade is whisked away from him and taken out of the room before the baby is even fully bathed.

"What do I do?" Beck asks a nurse "Should I go with her?"

"You won't be able to follow them where they're taking her." One of the prenatal nurses tells him "Just stay here with your daughter."

* * *

Beck once told his high school acting teacher that he had never experienced true terror, but he realizes now this must be what that feels like.

He has twenty minutes with their daughter after she's born, and then she's taken to the nursery to have some tests done. Beck watches from the window as she's examined by different nurses and doctors, and eventually he's informed that she's perfectly healthy. Their beautiful, perfect in every way, daughter is completely healthy and has no issues whatsoever despite the dramatic circumstances surrounding her birth. As Beck watches her sleep in her plastic bassinet behind the nursery window, he decides that she looks just like Jade. Same nose, same shaped eyes, and same light brown hair. Beck is certain that other people will be able to find traces of him in her but right now he only sees her mother, and all he can think about is how worried he is about his wife. He twists his wedding band around his finger nervously as he keeps a watchful eye on the infant.

"Mr. Oliver?" A nurse approaches him

"Hm?" Beck turns to face her "Oh, please tell me you have some information about my wife. Nobody here seems to know what's going on."

"Your wife lost enough blood during the delivery that she hemorrhaged." The nurse explains "It was most likely caused by the fact that her contractions stopped immediately and therefore she didn't have any pressure in her uterus to help stop the bleeding when the placenta detached itself."

"Well is she okay?" Beck asks her anxiously "Were they able to stop the bleeding?"

"The doctor was able to give her medication to re-stimulate the contractions again and apply the proper pressure to stop the excess bleeding." The nurse nods "She's still going to experience the same post-natal bleeding that other women do."

"Can I see her? Please?" Beck begs

"She's sleeping right now." The nurse informs him "But we have her in a room down the hall if you'd like to go sit with her. I'll arrange for a nurse to bring your daughter in as well."

"Okay, thank you so much."

The nurse leads him to a room down the hallway and around the corner from the nursery, then leaves to talk to someone about bringing the baby down. Jade is in fact fast asleep, but appears to be sleeping peacefully despite the oxygen tube in her nose and the IV stuck in her arm. Beck knows how badly she needs her rest, between thirty-two hours of active labor combined with an hour of pushing and then a hemorrhage...he wouldn't be surprised if she sleeps for a week. Eventually a nurse brings the baby in her plastic bassinet, and Beck cradles her gently in her arms as he sits down in the chair next to Jade's bed.

He feels like he can truly be in awe of his daughter, now knowing that Jade is alright. Even though she's only sleeping, he feels as if he could stare at her for hours and never get tired. Hours pass, and eventually Jade starts to wake up.

"Beck?" She says groggily as she begins to stir

"I'm here." He says, shifting the baby into one arm so he can take her hand "It's okay, I'm here."

"What happened?" She asks him, still sounding a bit disoriented

"You started hemorrhaging after the baby was born." Beck explains "The doctor's had to give you some medicine to stop the bleeding, but they took care it. You're okay now."

"And the baby?"

"She's okay too." Beck smiles "Eight pounds, three ounces, nineteen inches long. Perfectly healthy."

"Is that her?"

"Nah." He smirks "This is someone else's kid they're letting me hold for now."

"Shut up." Jade sighs, adjusting the oxygen tube in her nose "Give her to me so I can see her."

Beck carefully passes the baby, who whines a bit in her sleep as she's jostled around, to his wife, who tears up immediately.

"Hi baby girl." Jade says quietly to her "I'm your mama...and I'm so sorry it took us this long to get aquatinted. But I'll never leave you ever again."

She rocks the baby gently in her arms, and as she recognizes the sound of her mother's voice, the baby's whimpering stops almost immediately. Comfortable and peaceful again, a smile spreads across her little face.

"She looks just like you, Jade."

"She does, doesn't she?" Jade chuckles "That smile is all yours though."

"I knew you'd find something."

Beck carefully climbs into bed next to her and wraps an arm around her shoulders, holding both of them as close as he can. He has his whole world in his arms right now, and he's going to do everything he can to protect it.

"We're a little family now." He points out

"Yeah, we are." Jade grins "Beck and Jade and...did you fill out the birth certificate?"

"Not yet." He tells her "I wanted to make sure you were still okay with the name before I did."

"You know how much I love that name." Jade reminds him "Nothing could make me change my mind, not even a hemorrhage."

"Okay." Beck chuckles "Well then, welcome to the family Lennon Danielle Oliver. We've been waiting very patiently for you."

"Maybe not so patiently." Jade admits as she kisses the baby's forehead "Wow, she's perfect."

"She sure is, isn't she?" Beck agrees "Hey. We made that."

"Crazy, huh?" Jade laughs "I think we did a pretty good job though."

"Yeah, I think we did too." Beck tells her as he kisses the top of her head "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Dad." She says as she leans her head against his shoulder "Wow, that sounds so weird to say."

"Yeah, it does." Beck agrees with a smirk "Something tells me we'll adjust to it pretty quickly though."


	16. Lennon Danielle

Little Lennon Danielle Oliver turns her parents' world completely upside down, but in the absolute best way possible.

Beck and Jade are both utterly obsessed with her. They don't care that for the time being she needs all of their immediate attention always, or that she wakes them up every three hours in the middle of the night. She's their daughter and she's perfect and they couldn't be any happier.

For the first few weeks of Lennon's life, their guest room seems to have a revolving door of people going in and out of it. Beck's parents visit as do both sets of Jade's, which had been arranged but is still a bit overwhelming for the new parents who are still trying to get adjusted to their new routines and schedules.

"How did you come up with the name?" John asks them as he rocks his granddaughter gently in his arms "I mean obviously Danielle came from your name and from your mother's, Jade. But how'd you come up with Lennon?"

"We didn't start to talk about names until we knew she was a girl," Jade explains "and the first time we ever really sat down to talk about it I was playing music off of my phone. I just shuffled a playlist of a bunch of random songs that I've just been compiling over the years, and Jealous Guy was the first one that played."

"And I said, 'Hey, what if we named her Lennon?'." Beck adds as he wraps an arm around his wife's shoulders

"And we both loved it." Jade smiles up at him "We already knew she's take me and mom's middle name, and there were a few other options that we threw around for first names. But we kept coming back to Lennon."

"It's a beautiful name." Angie smiles as she strokes the baby's cheek "And very fitting."

Cat visits as soon as she returns from Europe, with Robbie and a huge basket of baby gifts in tow. Tori and Andre also fly in from Los Angeles to visit for a few days, and it's the first time since their sophomore year of college that all six of them have been together in one place.

"Look at this perfect little angel baby." Cat coos as she adjusts Lennon in her arms "You and me are going to be the very best of friends, Miss Lennon. I can't wait."

"As her mother and as your best friend, I'm offended." Jade chuckles

"I'm her _godmother_, remember?" Cat reminds her friend "We have a special bond unlike any other."

"Right..." Jade nods, exchanging a look with Beck "If you steal our daughter, I'm going to retract our offer of making you godmother."

"I won't _steal_ her." Cat assures them "I'm just going to spoil her absolutely rotten and give her whatever she wants."

"Alright."

"And as her godfather, I'm going to make sure she gets a proper music education." Andre adds

"C'mon, shouldn't that be my job?" Tori asks him as she takes his hand and intertwines thier fingers "I'm the music teacher here."

"But I'm the fun uncle."

"I'm also a fun uncle." Robbie cuts in "I have connections. I can help her meet any celebrity that she wants."

"Cat Valentine is her godmother, I think she's got the celebrity thing covered."

"So, are we just going to ignore the fact that Tori and Andre are holding hands?" Jade asks "I know my daughter is cute and everything, believe me. But when the fuck did that happen?"

"'Bout a month ago." Andre smiles at Tori

"It was inevitable." Tori adds, kissing him on the cheek "It was just a matter of when."

"Well good for you two." Jade smirks

Lennon begins to fuss and squirm in Cat's arms, immediately causing her to panic.

"Oh c'mon, Lennon." She sighs as she rocks her gently "We're supposed to be best friends, remember? You can't cry when I hold you!"

"Someone's hungry." Beck says as he stands up to retrieve the baby "There's nothing you can really do to help her."

"I want to feed her!" Cat insists

"You can't." Beck laughs "At least not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I breastfeed her." Jade tells her

Andre and Robbie exchange a nervous look, and Tori notices.

"Oh will you two relax?" She laughs "It's a natural thing."

"Well yeah." Andre nods "But..."

"But what?"

"I dunno."

"You won't see anything." Jade assures them with a coy smile as she drapes a blanket over her shoulder "We're both fully covered over here."

Beck hands the baby off to his wife so she can feed her and then sits back down next to her, replacing his arm around her shoulder. He can't help but laugh at how uncomfortable both of his friends still look.

"I can't wait for you two to have kids of your own." Beck chuckles

"Same." Cat adds, shooting Robbie an impatient look that he barely even notices

Jade has to keep herself from laughing. Cat and Robbie have been together for close to seven years at this point. She's had many discussions with her friend about how badly she wants to get married and have children of her own, but Robbie doesn't seem to be on the same page as her yet.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Andre asks her "I mean, the kid is chewing on your boob."

"Um, she doesn't have teeth yet." Jade reminds him as she chuckles a bit "So she's not chewing, she's sucking. And it hurt at first, but I'm used to it now. It just feels normal."

"I don't know how that could ever be normal."

"Good thing you'll never have to do it then."

* * *

"It's not straight." Jade informs her husband as she rocks gently back and forth in place

"It looks fine to me." Beck shrugs

"Okay, well I'm telling you from down here that it doesn't." Jade sighs "And no one will see it from up there, they'll only see it from down here."

"Okay, fine." Beck reaches up and adjusts the star on top of their Christmas tree ever so slightly "Better?"

"Much."

Even though they know she won't have any memory of it, Beck and Jade want to make sure that Lennon's first Christmas is special. They had just finished setting up and decorating their Christmas tree, and are now moving on to the stockings.

Their apartment doesn't have a fireplace, so every year they hang their stockings on temporary hooks on the wall next to the Christmas tree. For the past six Christmases or so, there's only been two stockings. Both red, one with a white 'J' embroidered in the middle, and the other with a white 'B' embroidered in the middle. They've hung side by side every year, but now they're going to be hanging slightly further apart.

"Look at this Lennon." Beck coos as he pulls the new stocking out of the box "This one is for you!"

The new stocking is white and has a red 'L' embroidered in the middle. They decided they wanted something to contrast the difference between their's and her's, so they inverted the colors. If they have any other children, their's will also have the same inverted colors.

Jade watches with a smile as her husband walks over and hangs the 'L' stocking in between the 'J' and the 'B'.

"Jade, Lennon, and Beck." She says proudly as he walks back over to them

"The Oliver's." He adds proudly before kissing his wife "Feels right, doesn't it?"

"It does." She agrees "And someone seems to be enjoying herself so far. Isn't that right, Len?"

Lennon has been awake and content the entire time that they've been decorated. Now at six weeks old, she's infatuated by all of the bright lights, and by her mommy's voice as she's been singing along to the Christmas music that they're playing.

"Are you a happy baby, Len?" Beck coos as he tickles his daughter's stomach, causing the baby to giggle "Oh look at that pretty smile, Mommy."

"She loves to smile, doesn't she?" Jade laughs "Just like her dad."

* * *

When Lennon was born, Beck decided that he wouldn't take any new acting jobs for at least six months. Jade told him he didn't have to, but he wanted to be home with his daughter so that he didn't miss any part of her growing up. However, when Lennon is three months old he gets some amazing news. He's been nominated for an Oscar. His World War II movie had been released at the holidays and done phenomenally at the box office, but also caught the eye of the Academy. So when Lennon is four months old, she gets to fly on a plane for the first time.

The flight is miserable for everyone. Although they're flying private, that still doesn't stop Lennon from crying almost the entire time. She can't help it. There's pressure in her ears and she's uncomfortable. Beck and Jade try everything: feeding her, letting her drink water out of a baby bottle, rocking her, sitting her in different positions. But nothing works. They're all relieved when they finally land in Los Angeles.

Lennon stays with Beck's parents during the ceremony. Jade had wanted her to stay with her mother and step-father instead, but Beck insisted she go with James and Priya because he was the reason they were in town in the first place. He assures his wife that they'll make sure Lennon sees all of her grandparents before they return back to New York, and Jade agrees to the conditions. It's the first time she's left Lennon with anyone but Beck, and she's nervous about being away from her even if she is with her grandparents.

They walk the red carpet together, Jade in a strapless black evening gown and Beck in a matching black tuxedo. When it comes time for them to do interviews, all anyone wants to talk to them about is the baby, and they're more than happy to gush.

"Date night for Mom and Dad tonight, huh?" One interviewer chuckles as he flags them down on the carpet

"Certainly is." Beck chuckles "It's the first time we've gone out without her, though. So it's a bit odd."

"Lennon, right?"

"Lennon Danielle." Jade confirms with a grin

"How's she doing?"

"Happiest baby alive." Beck chuckles, exchanging a grin with his wife "Not on the plane ride here, but every other time."

"She's happy and healthy and _we_ couldn't be any happier." Jade agrees

"I bet she'll be even happier if her dad brings home an award tonight, huh?"

"I doubt she'd care." Beck chuckles "Then again, she does like shiny things so..."

"Well, good luck to you tonight."

"Thank you very much, sir."

Beck and Jade mingle with a few people they know from the industry, past and present co-stars, directors they've worked with, or simply just other actors and actresses that they admire. Eventually they find their way into the theater and to their seats and wait for the show to begin.

"Deja vu." Beck laughs as they take their seats

"A bit." Jade smirks before kissing him on the cheek "But this time, its your turn."

"We'll see about that."

Beck's category is going to be one of the last of the night to be announced, so he tries his best to enjoy himself as they watch the rest of the award show. His movie wins one award on its own for best screenplay, but his colleague loses his award for best supporting actor. Beck's not sure how his category will play out, but he's trying not to get his hopes up. He doesn't need the award to validate anything, he's very proud of the movie on its own without any nominations. People enjoyed it, it made them _feel_ something, that's all he cares about.

Then finally the time arrives. The actor who won the award for best actor the year before walks out on stage holding the golden envelope. Whoever's name is in that envelope will return to the show next year to present the award to the next actor.

"Good luck, babe." Jade whispers in his ear before giving his hand a reassuring squeeze and flashing him a reassuring smile "I love you."

"I love you too." He tells her, kissing her forehead before turning his attention back to the stage

The actor on stage reads the names of the nominees and the movies that they're nominated for. Beck smiles and nods to the camera when they show him as his name is read, but he continues to hold tight to Jade's hand.

"And the award for Best Actor goes too...Beck Oliver, for One Step."

It takes a moment for Beck to register that he won. He had prepared himself to start clapping for whichever other nominee actually won, so initially that's what he does. But then Jade is cheering and pulling him to his feet and he realizes that his is the name that had actually been announced. He grins proudly as he kisses her, then begins making his way to the stage to accept the award.

"Wow, this is surreal." He admits as he takes the statuette in his hands and stands in front of the microphone "Thank you to the Academy, for obvious reasons, y'know. Thank you to my cast mates and to our amazing director and the whole crew who worked on the film. One actor does not make a movie, it's a team effort and there's no way I would be standing on this stage without all of you. I also want to thank my parents, for supporting me and this dream of mine even when you thought it was crazy. We've had our moments, but I know you're watching right now and I want you both to know how much I love you. And to my grandparents who have _always_ been my biggest fans, no matter what. I also want to thank Irwin Sikowitz, for giving me the tools I needed to be successful and encouraging me to pursue this against all of the odds. But most importantly I want to thank my wife, Jade. And our little baby girl, Lennon. My world is nothing without you two in it, and this award is nothing compared to either one of you. I love you both so much, thank you for always loving me and supporting me in everything that I do. Have a great night everybody, get home safe."

The next morning, Beck posts a picture on Instagram that will eventually become the most liked post of the year. Jade holds Lennon on her lap and is smiling up at the person behind the camera, but Lennon holds the Oscar statuette in her hands and is smiling as she hugs it. He captions it, 'Lucky doesn't even begin to decsribe it.'

* * *

"Lennon!" Beck exclaims as he chases his daughter across the apartment

Since learning to crawl, it seems that she's always on the move now. Beck and Jade can never turn their backs on her because once they do, she's already in another room by the time they've turned back around.

"Where do you think you're going?" Beck laughs as he scoops the baby up into his arms "Huh? Are you trying to make a break for it?"

"Mama." Lennon babbles, looking at Beck as if he should have obviously known where she was going

"Soon." He tells the baby as he carries her back to her play mat "She'll be home soon."

Jade had gone to meet with Mona and a director about a possible new project. Beck was more than willing to stay home with Lennon because he very rarely gets one-on-one time with her these days, as he's started working again too.

"Look at this, Len." Beck says as he sits the baby on the floor next to her laugh and learn baby piano that Andre had given her "You press these and they make noise."

The baby giggles as she smacks the plastic keys and makes the piano make noise. Beck is so content to just sit there and watch her play, knowing that she'll never be this young again.

"Helloooo" Jade singsongs as she enters the apartment

"Mama!" Lennon squeals as she begins crawling towards the door

Lennon Oliver is without a doubt a complete and total mama's girl. She barely spends any more time with Jade than she does with Beck, so that has nothing to do with it, but the two of them have had a very special bond from the very beginning. When they visit with friends and family Lennon is content to snuggle and play with whoever, but she always prefers her mama.

"Hey Bub." Jade grins, picking the baby up off the floor and smothering her with kisses before resting her on her hip "Did you have fun with Daddy?"

"We always have fun." Beck assures her, walking over and greeting her with a kiss "How'd the meeting go?"

"Oh, I'm not doing the movie." Jade tells him as she kicks her shoes off and carries Lennon back to her toys

"What?" Beck follows her "Why not? Mona said she thought it would be perfect for you."

"It would have been, if it was with any other director." Jade sighs "The dude was a total prick to both of us, not to mention he's incredibly conceited. The way he's headed, he's going to end up _losing_ money by making that movie."

"Oh wow, yeah maybe it's best you don't take it then."

"It'll be great for some up-and-comer to get herself an iMDB credit or something, but I'm not going to waste time I could be spending here with my family on that asshole."

"Jade!"

"What?"

"She's starting to talk, I thought we were trying to cut back on the swearing?"

"I didn't realize cutting back meant stopping completely." Jade chuckles "Besides, she only knows the one word right now anyways."

"Oh, I'm aware." Beck laughs "All I heard while you were gone was 'Mama? Mama? Mama?'. It's kind of cute."

"Mama!" Lennon exclaims

"See?"

"Aw, I missed you too, Bubs." Jade smiles as she kisses Lennon's cheek "Don't worry, I'll make sure any projects I take from now on are _well_ worth it."


	17. Working Mama

"I have news to share." Cat grins as their waiter walks away from the table

Cat is between albums and in New York staying with Robbie for the time being, so she and Jade had decided to meet for lunch at one of their favorite restaurants in the city. It didn't take long for the paparazzi to figure out what they were up to, and the two women had to be seated in the back as far away from the windows as possible so that the photographers didn't disturb any other guests.

"Oh do you now?" Jade smirks "I'm assuming it's not that you're pregnant, seeing as you're drinking wine."

"No, I'm not." Cat chuckles "But I am engaged."

"What?" Jade laughs

"Look!" Cat squeals, holding up her left hand

"When?" Jade gasps, taking Cat's hand to examine the ring

"Last night." Cat tells her "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I." Jade admits "Good for Shapiro, finally taking some initiative."

"I thought for sure we were going to be one of those couples who did everything _but_ get married." Cat smiles at her ring before putting her hand back in her lap "But I'm so happy!"

"I'm happy for you." Jade smiles "Do you have a date in mind? I know it just happened, but you both have pretty busy schedules."

"It'll be at least a year." Cat sighs "I'm getting ready to announce another album-"

"Another one?" Jade laughs "What is this now, number four?"

"Yes, it's number four." Cat mocks Jade's tone "This is my _job, _remember? I make music and tour the way you make movies."

"Right, sorry." Jade apologizes "Continue."

"It'll be at least a year before we can get married." Cat repeats "Probably longer because I'm going to need time to actually _plan_ the thing. When the time does come though, I'd like you to be my maid of honor."

"Of course." Jade smiles, reaching across the table and squeezing her best friend's hand "I would be absolutely honored."

"And I want Lennon to be the flower girl."

"Hopefully she can walk by then."

"She'll be almost two." Cat points out "If she can't walk by then, I think you'll have bigger issues."

"You're probably right." Jade smirks, taking a sip of her wine

The two friends finish their meal and make plans for Cat and Robbie to come over later that night to see Lennon, and then have dinner with Beck and Jade after she goes to bed. They argue over who gets to pay the bill, and Jade ends up winning because she tells Cat its a congratulatory meal in regards to her engagement. Security then escorts them out of the restaurant separately and into their own awaiting cars, and then Jade heads home to Beck and Lennon.

"Hey there." She grins as she enters the apartment and sets her purse down "How are my two favorite people?"

"We're not really diggin' the peas today, Mama." Beck sighs, trying to coax Lennon into opening her mouth

Now at close to ten months old, Lennon eats mostly solid foods and only gets a bottle at bedtime. She's very good at grabbing a sippy cup and drinking from it by herself as well.

"That's because she hates peas." Jade says as she kisses Beck on the cheek and sits down in the chair next to him "Bananas are her favorite."

"Well, we've opened the peas. We're going to finish the peas if it kills me." Beck chuckles

"Don't say that or it just might." Jade smirks

"Funny." Beck scoffs "Hey, you need to call Mona. She's been trying to get ahold of you all morning."

"Really?" Jade asks, standing up again to retrieve her phone "What about?"

"Some project." Beck shrugs "She wouldn't give me the details, but she did say it's a big deal."

"Hm, alright." Jade shrugs, grabbing her phone out of her purse and heading towards the office "I guess I need to make a phone call then. Be right back."

"We'll be right here." Beck tells her

Jade enters the office and closes the door shut behind her as she hits the button to dial their casting agent's number. Originally, Beck had been the one to hire Mona. But over the years she had taken responsibility for both him and Jade, and they're without a doubt her number one clients.

"This is Mona." The woman answers

"Hey Mona, it's Jade."

"Jade!" Mona exclaims "Thank goodness I've finally got you on the phone! I've got a really great part for you, if you want it."

"I'm listening."

"They're reviving Rent." Mona tells her excitedly

"The musical?" Jade clarifies "Like, a broadway revival? Or another movie?"

"Broadway." Mona clarifies "I know you've been sticking to movies and TV guest spots lately with the baby and everything, but the director called me this morning herself and personally offered you the role of Maureen. No audition, no callbacks, no hoops to jump through. Just say the word and the part is your's."

"Wow, that's a really tempting offer." Jade admits "I would have to talk to Beck first-"

"Talk to me about what?" Beck asks, entering the office with Lennon on his hip

"Were you listening at the door?"

"Of course." Beck admits "What's the tempting offer?"

"They're reviving Rent." Jade explains "The director wants me to play Maureen. No audition, all I have to do is say yes and the part is mine."

"Of course you have to do it." Beck tells her "You can sing that soundtrack in your sleep."

"What about Lennon?"

"What about her?"

"Well, you'll be working too at some point, won't you?" Jade asks him "If I'm on Broadway, who's watching her?"

"We'll have to get a nanny."

"I don't want to get a nanny."

"C'mon, we knew it would be inevitable." Beck reminds her "I'm shocked we made it ten months without needing one. Jade, this is an opportunity of a lifetime for you."

"I know it is..."

"So take the part. We'll figure the rest out later."

"Okay." Jade smiles "Mona?"

"I'm still here." Mona tells her "What do you think?"

"I'm in." Jade tells her "But I want it in my contract that the rehearsal hours are reasonable. I don't want to disappear out of my kid's life completely."

"That can be arranged." Mona chuckles "I'll call the director."

* * *

One thing that is significantly different about New York when compared to Los Angeles is the weather. Not only does New York experience all four seasons, it also gets a lot of one thing that Los Angeles rarely sees. And that's rain.

In the early hours of the morning on the day of Jade's first broadway show, a giant line of thunderstorms passes through the city. She and Beck are snuggled up together in bed, completely oblivious to the fact that it's raining at all. Until a large crack of thunder echoes through the city, shaking their building, and waking Lennon up.

It's Beck who hops out of bed first when he hears her crying. He's out of the room before Jade can even process what's happening, but then lightning illuminates the bedroom and there's another crack of thunder and she understands. Groggily, she rolls over and looks at the clock on her bedside table and see's that it reads 4:12 in the morning.

"She's shaking." Beck frowns when he re-enters the bedroom with Lennon in his arms "I couldn't leave her."

"Baby..." Jade yawns as Beck climbs back into bed "It's just noise, it won't hurt you."

Beck sets Lennon down in between him and Jade, and the little girl of course crawls right up next to her mother.

"Mama..." She whines, tears forming in the corners of her eyes "Boom."

"Yes I know, loud booms." Jade nods as another crack of thunder shakes the building "We should just let her sleep with us tonight. One time won't form a habit."

"Fine by me." Beck agrees, laying down and pulling the sheets around all three of them

It takes a while for Lennon to calm down enough to get to a point where she can actually fall asleep. But she feels safe wrapped up in Mommy's arms and knows that Daddy is close by too. Eventually, all three of them fall back to sleep.

Jade is the first one to wake up. Her daughter startles her at first, as she had forgotten the events that had occurred just a few hours prior. But then she remembers the thunderstorm, and is relieved that Lennon was able to fall back asleep and didn't keep them up all night before her first show. It's still raining outside, and but there's no thunder anymore. At least not right now.

The baby had wiggled out of her arms and is now laying closer to Beck, resting on her back with her arms stretched out over her head and a peaceful and content expression on her face.

"Beck." Jade whispers, shaking her husband's shoulder lightly "Beck, wake up."

"Hm?" Beck awakes abruptly "What is it? Are you okay?"

"We're fine." Jade chuckles as she lays down on her side to face her husband and her baby "I just wanted you to see her. Look at how cute she is."

"Oh." Beck smiles, relieved that nothing is wrong "Oh wow, she looks so peaceful."

"She does, doesn't she?" Jade agrees as she gently rubs Lennon's arm

The two of them lay there in silence for a while, watching their daughter sleep. It's getting close to the point in the morning where they'll need to get up and start their day so Jade can get going to rehearsal, and Beck can get everything done that he needs to before heading to the theater to watch Jade on opening night. But neither of them want to move yet, they're too immersed in their daughter.

"She's the most perfect baby." Jade admits

"She really is."

"What if..." Jade hesitates "How would you feel about having another one?"

"Oh god." A panicked expression crosses Beck's face "Are you pregnant?"

"God, no." Jade laughs "I wouldn't have agreed to do the show if I was."

"Thank god." Beck lets out a sigh of relief

"I meant in a year or so. When she's closer to two." Jade clarifies "What do you think?"

"Well, we've always discussed having multiple." Beck nods "And you've said you want them closer together than you and your brother are. So yeah, I like that idea. In a year or so, let's try for another."

"Okay." Jade smiles, leaning over Lennon to kiss her husband "I like that idea too."

Jade leaves for rehearsal right after lunch, and Beck stays with Lennon. They play and read stories and Beck gives her a bath then departs for the theater himself around six o'clock in the evening, leaving Lennon with her new nanny, Emma.

He's on the very select list of people who is allowed backstage before the performance. Some of the cast and crew have gotten to know him over the past few months of rehearsals when he's come to visit Jade, sometimes he's even brought Lennon along with him. But tonight he's flying solo as he arrives at his wife's dressing room and knocks on the door.

"Come in."

"Hey." Beck smiles as he pokes his head in the door "Up for a visitor?"

"Only because it's you." Jade admits "I'm freaking out."

She hasn't performed in front of a live audience in a very long time, she's only done movies and TV. Movies and TV give you the chance for a do-over if you need it, and you can have as many do-overs as you need, but live theater only gives you one shot.

"Don't freak out." Beck assures her "You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Here, I brought you these."

He hands her a bouquet of purple stargazer lilies. They're her absolute favorite flower, but not that common in flower shops. He called at least a dozen that afternoon while Lennon was napping, trying to find one that had some. Thankfully, a shop near Emma's apartment had them, and he had her pick some up for him and reimbursed her when she arrived.

"Stargazers." Jade grins "My favorite. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Beck smirks, tilting her chin upwards and kissing her "Feel better now?"

"Not at all." Jade admits "Do I look okay?"

"Honestly, you look hot." Beck tells her "I'd have sex with you right there on that couch right now if there wasn't a show starting soon and a million people around."

Maureen is a supporting character and isn't introduced until almost the end of the first act, but Jade is still completely ready to go in full costume and makeup. Her character first appears in leather pants and a tight tank top, and it's the tightest outfit she's worn since she got pregnant. Her hair is also full of tight curls and her makeup is done too.

"I don't look like I just had a baby?" She asks him

"You don't look like you've had a baby at all." Beck admits "And you didn't _just_ have a baby, she's a year old."

"I'm freaking out, Beck." She repeats "I dunno if I can do this."

"You can." Beck assures her as he wraps her up in a tight hug "It's not any different than the musicals you did in high school and college."

"They weren't using my name as a promotion to get people in the door back then." Jade reminds him "Now it's plastered all over the god damn posters."

"So?"

"So, what if I fuck up and it's all people ever remember me for?"

"Then your an Emmy award-winner with an adorable daughter and a husband that loves you." Beck reminds her "Jade. You're going to be fine. Do you need me to go get Cat so she can talk some sense into you? She and Robbie have been here longer than I have."

"No." Jade shakes her head as he hugs her husband tightly "No, you're all I need."

Beck stays with Jade until the five minute warning, then makes his way up to the private box on reserve for him, Cat, and Robbie. He'll frequent this box many times over the course of Jade's run with the show, seeing it with both sets of her parents, his parents, Tori and Andre, Cat and Robbie multiple times, sometimes on his own, and once even bringing Lennon along with him. But for now it's just the three of them as the show begins.

Jade, of course, does phenomenally, just as Beck told her she would. He wraps her up in a hug the first moment he sees her after the show, lifting her off of her feet and spinning her around. They take pictures together, and with Cat and Robbie. The director addresses the cast and crew, congratulating them on a great first show, and then Jade returns to her dressing room to change.

They have their driver drop them off a few blocks away from their apartment and walk the rest of the way. There's not that many people on the street, so they aren't worried about being recognized, and it's a beautiful night now that the rain has stopped and they want to enjoy it.

"Have I told you that you were amazing tonight?" Beck asks her as they walk down the street hand-in-hand

"You have." Jade chuckles "But tell me again."

"You were amazing." He tells her "A real super star."

"Thank you, Mr. Oliver." Jade smirks

"You're welcome, Mrs. Oliver."

They walk on, discussing the show. What went right, the small hiccups that no one noticed, and Beck's amusement at his wife's on-stage affair with another woman. Suddenly, Jade stops walking.

"You okay?" Beck asks

She's let go of his hand and is standing directly under the light coming from a streetlamp.

"Come kiss me." She tells him "Right here."

"Okay." Beck chuckles, walking towards her

He takes her in his arms and pulls her as close to him as he can. They make out under the lamp's light for a few minutes, right in plain view of anyone who passes on the street.

"You've still got it." Jade smirks when they break away

"So do you." He grins "What was that all about?"

"Look at how pretty it is right now." Jade gestures around him "With the lights reflecting off of the wet pavement and the calmness and stillness of everything. I just wanted to take advantage of it."

"Almost feels like being in college again." Beck admits looking around him

"Kind of a little bit, huh?" Jade agrees "Good times. Simpler times."

"They were." Beck agrees "But now we have a pretty awesome little girl."

"We do." Jade grins "Let's get home to her."

* * *

"Cap!" Lennon exclaims as Cat walks through the door

"Ca-t, sweetheart." Cat says, putting an emphasis on the 't' sound as she bends down to pick Lennon up "With a T."

"She's working on it." Jade laughs as she walks over to them, stretching out her arms to hug her friend "Hi."

"Hey." Cat smiles, shifting Lennon to her other hip "I know you have to go to rehearsal soon, so I won't be long. I just have some news I wanted to share with you in person."

"_Now_ are you pregnant?" Jade asks her

"No." Cat rolls her eyes "Stop wishing that on me, I have an album to promote."

"Right." Jade smirks "Sorry, what's the news?"

"Robbie is going to be the new host of the Late Show." Cat tells her with a smile

"That's awesome!" Jade exclaims "I didn't even know he was going for that."

"They kept it very under wraps." Cat informs her "I didn't even find out about it until he was already in the process of being considered."

"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?" Jade asks her

"Because there is." Cat sighs "They film that show in LA."

"I know." Jade shrugs "I've been on it. Multiple times. So what's the big deal if...oh. I get where this is going. You're going to be in LA full time with him now, aren't you?"

"That's the plan, yeah." Cat nods

"Well you should be." Jade assures her "You're engaged. And even if you weren't, he's your partner. You should be together."

"I just won't get to see you guys as much anymore." Cat frowns "I'm going to miss my best friends. And my favorite goddaughter."

"_Only_ goddaughter." Jade reminds her "Don't worry, Cat. You'll still see us plenty. It's not like we won't be able to visit each other. And your tour will for sure stop here for at least one night."

"Probably three." Cat informs her with a wink "But don't tell anyone that yet."

"Your secret is safe with me." Jade promises her "I'll be at all three shows."

"What about your shows?"

"I have an understudy." Jade reminds her

"Right." Cat smiles a bit "I'll be back here once a month to see a show until I start touring. I promise."

"Alright." Jade hugs her again "It won't be so bad, Cat. You've been splitting your time between the two places for years now."

"It was an even fifty-fity split though." Cat reminds her "Now it's going to be like ninety-five and five. And Lennon will grow so much!"

"She'd do that regardless of if you were here or not."

"I know." Cat sighs "Now it's going to appear less gradual though."

"What are you doing for the rest of the afternoon?" Jade asks her

"Nothing." Cat shrugs "Why?"

"I'll tell you what..." Jade says as she pulls her phone out of her pocket "I'll tell the nanny not to come today, and you and Len can hang out and have auntie-goddaughter bonding time while I'm at rehearsal. Sound okay?"

"That's the next best thing to you letting me bring her to LA with me." Cat grins

"Oh, that's definitely not happening." Jade laughs "You'll have to settle for this instead."


	18. Goodbyes Are Hard

"Look at that." Beck grins proudly as he watches his wife add her newest addition to their collection of awards "You're halfway to an EGOT."

Jade has now added a Tony to her list of accolades, after playing her role on Broadway for just shy of a year. She had been nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, and of course had won. The show itself also received multiple nominations, such as Best Revival of a Musical and Best Direction of a musical, to name a few.

"Maybe I'll get that Oscar one day..." Jade chuckles as Beck drapes an arm around her shoulders "I don't really see a Grammy in my future though."

"Never say never."

"Eh." Jade shrugs "I doubt it, not really the career path I want to take."

"Maybe you can just steal one of Cat's." Beck smirks "She has what, eight now?"

"Something like that." Jade laughs "Yeah. I'm sure she wouldn't notice if one went missing."

"We can always blame Lennon." Beck points out "Honestly, if we wait until Lennon is old enough we could just get her to ask her for one. Cat would give that kid anything."

"That's very true." Jade laughs, turning away from the display of awards in the office

"So, Jade Oliver. You've just won a Tony award, what are you going to do next?" Beck asks her in a goofy tone

"I'm going to quit." Jade tells him confidently without any hesitation

"What?" Beck is shocked "Wh-why? You love doing the show, and you just won the biggest award there is to win for it. Why the hell would you quit?"

"Because I'm pregnant." Jade shrugs

"Don't fuck with me, Jade." Beck says flatly "It's not funny."

"I'm not fucking with you." Jade chuckles as she drapes her arms around his neck "I'm really pregnant."

"You're serious?" Beck grins

"Yeah." Jade smiles up at him "I'm due in March."

"That's amazing!" Beck exclaims before kissing her "I'm so happy! Two kids!"

"Yup." Jade laughs "Double the trouble."

Jade continues with Rent for another three weeks, then graciously passes the role to the woman who had been playing her understudy since the show's start a year prior. Both sets of her parents fly in for her final show, as do Tori and Andre. That night Beck and Jade share the news of why exactly Jade is quitting the show, and everyone is ecstatic. They FaceTime Beck's parents the next day to tell them the news, and they're thrilled as well. The only people who don't know are Cat and Robbie, which Jade feels terrible about, but they have the best plan set in motion to tell them.

Ten days after Jade does her last performance with Rent, Cat's tour stops in New York for it's three dates she had told Jade about a few months prior. Of course Beck and Jade attend, but they bring Lennon along as well. It's the first time she's ever seen Auntie Cat sing on stage in front of her, and both the toddler and the pop star are over-the-moon excited. Cat even arranges for Lennon to run out on stage with her halfway through the show.

When the concert starts, Beck and Jade immediately change Lennon out of the outfit they had brought her in and into a new one. Robbie notices Lennon's new shirt and puts the pieces together, congratulating them immediately. And when it comes time for Lennon to run out on stage, Cat notices it too.

"C'mere, Len!" Cat grins, stretching her arms out to the toddler

Beck had been holding Lennon up until this point, so it takes her a moment to find her balance with the extra weight from the noise-canceling headphones her parents had put on her. Eventually she adjusts herself, and runs right towards her favorite aunt.

"Oh my god! Your shirt!" Cat exclaims as she picks Lennon up and rests her on her hip

The camera zooms in on the two of them, and then everyone else in the arena can see that Lennon is wearing a purple t-shirt with the words 'Big Sister' written across it in white letters.

"Jade West! Er...Oliver!" Cat exclaims into the microphone "Sorry everyone, I knew her as Jade West first and sometimes I still slip up...are you pregnant!?"

Beck and Jade both grin and nod at Cat, knowing its too loud in the arena for her to hear them even if they screamed a response at her.

"AH!" Cat squeals "I'm going to be an auntie again, everyone!"

Within minutes, the picture of Cat holding Lennon as well as the news of her new soon-to-be-sibling have spread all over the internet. After the show, Beck and Jade both post the same picture of the two of them with Lennon in her t-shirt to instagram along with the caption 'It's true'.

* * *

"I two!" Lennon grins as Beck places the birthday cake in front of her and her friends and family finish singing

"You sure are, Bubs!" He smiles "Go ahead and blow out the candles."

Lennon tries her very best to extinguish the flames on both candles, but her lungs are still small and it proves to be quite the difficult task. Eventually Jade ends up assisting her, but Lennon is under the impression that she's done it all on her own.

"Yay!" Everyone exclaims, Beck and Jade included

Lennon is a few days past turning two at this point, but they decided to wait until the weekend to celebrate so that their families could be involved. Most of people the they wanted to celebrate with them live in Los Angeles anyways, so they're making a weekend trip out of it and will return to New York on Sunday night.

"What'd you wish for, Len?" John asks her

"A sister!" Lennon exclaims

"Oh god..." Jade groans, exchanging a worried look with Beck

Lennon was quite excited about the idea of a little sibling when Beck and Jade first told her about the baby, even though she doesn't quite entirely understand the concept. She's dead set on the idea of a little sister, and refuses to even consider the possibility that it could be a little brother. Beck and Jade have tried multiple times to explain to her that they don't have any control over if they baby is a boy or a girl, but Lennon doesn't want to hear it.

"You know that baby just grew a penis, right?" Jade's brother, Tyler, whispers to her "She totally jinxed it."

"You're right." Jade sighs, rubbling her right temple

They won't find out the sex of the baby for a few more weeks, but Jade knows her brother is right. Having another girl and completely satisfying Lennon would just make life too easy for them.

"Once again, Tyler is a good name." He reminds her

"Don't pretend like you wouldn't hate my kid having the same name as you." Jade rolls her eyes "You'd love it for like, two seconds, and then beg us to change it."

"It would be a fun two seconds though." Tyler laughs "But if you won't name him after me, may I be the first one to throw 'Ringo' into the mix?"

"Oh shut up." Jade rolls her eyes

"I'm only teasing you." Tyler assures her, kissing his sister on the cheek quickly before walking away to talk to his parents

"Lennon, remember what we talked about." Beck reminds the toddler "Mommy and I can't control if you get a baby sister or a baby brother. It's not up to us."

"Hmm..." Lennon hums, deep in thought "I tink is a sister."

"Alright." Beck laughs "We'll just have to wait and see."

Being the only young child in the family, Lennon is of course showered with tons of new toys, books, games, and clothes when it comes time to open presents. Beck and Jade have to actually purchase additional suitcases so that they can get everything back home to New York with them.

Their plane lands just after nine-thirty New York time. Lennon had stayed awake for the entire flight, infatuated with the view from the airplane window. Beck and Jade considered this to be an improvement from the days of flying with her as a baby when she would scream the whole time, but as they depart the airplane they notice she's grown quite cranky. Thankfully, she falls asleep in the car and stays asleep as Jade removes her from her carseat to carry her inside.

"I have like three missed calls from my dad." Beck says to Jade as they enter the elevator to go up to their apartment

"Any texts?"

"No, just a voicemail." He tells her as he raises the phone to his ear to listen to the message "It's so vague, he just wants me to call him."

"We probably just forgot something and he wants to know how to ship it to us." Jade assures him as they step off the elevator and begin walking towards their apartment "I'll put her to bed, go ahead and call him back."

"Thanks." Beck pecks her quickly on the lips before unlocking the door "I'll be up in a few minutes."

"I'll be waiting." Jade winks, then turns to carry Lennon upstairs

Beck hits the button to call his father and raises the phone to his ear, walking over to the large window on the opposite side of the apartment and looking out at the skyline as it rings.

"Hello?" James answers

"Hey, Dad." Beck greets him "I got your message, what's up?"

"Beck, I..." James hesitates "I don't know how to tell you this..."

"Is everything alright?"

"It's Grandpa Charlie." James tells him "He's had a stroke."

"Oh..." Beck feels his heart sink "Is he okay?"

"It doesn't look good." James admits "Your mother and I are leaving for the airport in about an hour. If you want the chance to say goodbye, I suggest you follow suit."

"Fuck, alright..." Beck sighs "I'll talk to Jade. Keep me posted, okay?"

"Will do, son." James promises "Glad you all made it back safely."

"Thanks, Dad." Beck tells him "Love you."

"Love you too." James says "Talk soon."

Frustrated, Beck turns around and throws his phone onto the couch. He needs to release some of the anger and sadness that he's feeling, but he definitely doesn't need to break his phone. After giving himself a few minutes to process the conversation he had with his father and to calm down, he picks up his phone and makes his way upstairs to the bedroom to find Jade.

She's already changed into her pajamas and is going through a suitcase, looking for her toiletry bag.

"Everything alright with your dad?" She asks as she sees him enter the room

"It's my grandpa." Beck tells her "He had a stroke this afternoon."

Jade stops looking through the suitcase and turns her head to make eye contact with him. She knows how much his relationship with his grandparents means to him. With their old age, both her and Beck working, and Lennon being so little, they haven't been able to visit them much in the past few years. And now she fears that they should have made the time.

"Is he..."

"It doesn't look good." Beck sighs, sitting down on the edge of the bed "My parents are flying up there tonight. My dad told me that if I want the chance to say goodbye, then I should consider doing the same."

"We'll leave in the morning then." Jade says matter-of-factly as she sits down next to him

"Jade, we just got back." He reminds her

"So?"

"So, that's a lot of traveling. We'd have to fly cross-country again." Beck reminds her "I'll just go by myself. Lennon is too little for that and you shouldn't be flying that much anyway-"

"I will be fine." Jade assures him, taking his hand and squeezing it "And so will Lennon. We're a family, we stay together. Remember?"

"Are you sure?" He asks her

"I am." She nods "We'll be there to support you, no matter what happens."

* * *

"Papa?" Lennon says quietly

"Yeah, Papa is in pretty rough shape." Beck says quietly as he passes Lennon over to Jade

They took the first flight from New York to Vancouver the following morning, and had touched down at about noon local time. Their bodies didn't even have time to being back on east coast time before they were back in the pacific time zone. They're staying with Beck's grandma at her house, along with his parents. After dropping their bags off, they came straight to the hospital.

"Hey Grandpa..." Beck whispers as he approaches Charlie's bed "It's me, it's Beck."

Charlie, who is barely conscious, narrows his eyes at Beck to focus on him, then lifts his hand ever so slightly as if to say hello.

"Hi." Beck smiles "Jade is here too, and Lennon."

"Hey, Papa." Jade coos, stepping a bit closer to the bed "It's good to see you."

"Hi Papa..." Lennon says shyly

Charlie smiles a lopsided smile at them, then closes his eyes and quickly falls back to sleep. Beck fights tears as Jade places a comforting hand on his shoulder. This was the man who had helped him build a tree house when he was six, and took him fishing, and showed him how to fix a lawnmower engine. He was big and strong and tough, not weak and frail like the man laying in the bed in front of him.

"Do you want to stay?" Jade asks him

"Yes p-please." Beck says, his voice catching a bit "Just for a wh-while."

"Of course." Jade nods, rubbing his shoulder "As long as you need."

The news Beck had been dreading comes in the very early hours of the morning. He and Jade are both asleep in the guest bedroom on the first floor, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Lennon is asleep as well, in Beck's old pac-n-play next to the bed.

Priya opens the door as quietly as she can but it still squeaks, waking Jade. For a moment she forgets where she is, but once she remembers, checks the clock next to the bed, and turns back to Priya to read her expression, she knows exactly what has happened. She sits up and swings her legs over the side of the bed, fumbling to turn the bedside lamp on and waking Beck up in the process.

"You okay?" He mumbles "What time is it?"

"Beck..." Jade says quietly, finding his hand as she looks to Priya "Is he...?"

"Your grandfather had another stroke, sweetheart." Priya tells Beck, and Jade by association "He didn't make it this time, unfortunately."

"What..." Beck shakes his head "No...he can't be. We've been here less than a day."

"Babe..." Jade says sympathetically as she wraps him up in a hug "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too." Priya adds

This is the kind of situation where she would immediately jump at the chance to comfort her son, to take advantage of the fact that he might just need her. But her son is a grown man now and as much as she wishes he would still run to her for comfort, she realizes that as his wife...that's Jade's role now. So she briefly checks on her granddaughter to make sure that she's still sleeping, which she is, then leaves the couple alone to mourn and goes to find her husband.

Beck cries and Jade holds him tightly as he does so, letting a few tears fall herself. This is the circle of life, she realizes that. People are alive until one day they're not. But this was unexpected, Charlie was healthy. They thought they had more time with him. This was her husband's grandfather, her daughter and unborn child's great-grandfather, he had even been a grandfather to her too for a brief time. It's heartbreaking to lose him.

The next few days that follow are somber to say the least. There's preparations that need to be made, but no one is really ready to accept the fact that Charlie is really gone. Jade and Priya take the charge in making the arrangements, along with Beck's uncle who had also married into the family. Although they loved Charlie and are mourning his death too, they don't want to place any extra burdens on their spouses if they can avoid it. Beck asks if he can speak at the funeral. Jade assures him that he doesn't have to if he doesn't think he'll be up for it, but he insists. His grandfather meant a lot to him, and he wants a chance to let others know just how special he was.

"My grandfather was a hero." Beck says as he addresses the crowd gathered around Charlie's grave "Or at least he was to me, and I'm sure was to many of you as well. He was a humble man full of love, strength and encouragement. In life and now death I know he wouldn't want us to focus on the sadness and sorrow, but to continue to love and support each other no matter the situation. He always supported me, always. When I was young and I wanted to be a race car driver, and then when I was older and I decided I wanted to be an actor. He didn't call it stupid or say it was a fantasy. He didn't call me gay, even though a few of his friends did. He encouraged me to chase my dreams, and truly believed that I could catch them. He attended my wedding, even though it was in America and he hates crossing international borders, and even though I was nineteen and everyone thought I was too young. If you walk into his den right now, you'll find copies of every movie I've ever been in, even the bad ones. You'll find copies of every movie or tv show my wife has been in, even ones that were canceled after the first season. Because that's the kind of guy Charlie Oliver was. He was there for you, no matter what. And I like to think that he'll still be there for all of us, even now. We should all strive to be a little more like him."

"Thank you, Beckett..." The minister says to him "...for those touching words."

Beck finds his way back to Jade and slips his hand in her's, squeezing it tightly as he brushes a tear from his eye. Jade reaches across herself and rubs his arm lightly, leaning against him a bit to let him know that she's there for him and supports him. A neighbor's adult daughter had offered to stay back at the house to watch any children who might be too young to attend the service so they left Lennon there, knowing she was too young to understand and also that she would be in good hands.

"Charles Nicholas Oliver, we bless you, wish you well, and thank you for being a part of our life." The minister says "We honor your life on Earth and we pray for your peace ever-after. We will not forget you. Go well."

There's a luncheon back at Susan's house immediately following the services. Beck's grandmother, despite her mourning, shifts into full hostess mode, as she always does, and makes sure everyone is well taken care of. Beck and Jade mingle, swapping stories about Charlie with other people who loved him, catching up with childhood friends of Beck's, and talking about Lennon with other people who have children. For once, they're not famous and its refreshing. To everyone here, they're just Charlie's grandkids, their Hollywood credits don't matter.

Jade is impressed with how well her husband carries himself throughout the day. She knows he's upset and hurting, she can see it in his eyes, but only she can see it because she's the only one who knows him well enough to recognize it. Later that night, he does break down, and she's relieved that he does. Bottling all of those emotions inside and letting them fester isn't healthy, so she's more than willing to comfort him while he cries. He buries his face in her lap, and she kisses the top of his head as she rubs his back gently. Thankfully, Lennon is fast asleep, exhausted from the events of the day and the lack of her regular nap, completely oblivious to the pain her parents are feeling.

"It's going to get easier." Jade promises him as she combs through his hair with her fingers "Not right away, but eventually."

"I know." Beck sniffs, sitting up "I know that, it's just that right now it really-"

"Sucks." Jade finishes his thought for him, handing him a tissue

"Sucks." He nods in agreement as he blows his nose

Beck stands up and throws the tissue in the trash, then returns to sit on the bed next to his wife. He reaches out and places a hand on top of her baby bump. She's only four months, so it's barely there. But it's there. He smiles as he remembers that their child is growing inside of her, and she smiles as well as she places her hand on top of his.

"Moving around at all?" He asks

"Just barely." Jade tells him "Enough for me to be able to feel it, but not enough for you to be able to yet."

"That's good. It means they're growing." Beck nods "Jade?"

"Hm?"

"If the baby is a boy..." Beck begins "I want to name him Charlie."

"Okay." Jade nods, caressing his face "I think that's a great idea."

"You do?"

"I do."

"You're not just agreeing because I'm sad?"

"Of course not." She assures him "This is our _child_. I wouldn't name him something just because."

"Okay." Beck smiles, leaning forward to kiss her "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She tells him "Hey? I love you, okay? I'm here for you, whatever and whenever you need."

"I know." Beck nods "I love you for loving me."

"Thank you for letting me."


	19. Adjusting

"Hi lil' sissy..." Lennon whispers as she reaches through the bars of the baby's crib "You sleepin'?"

The baby is in fact fast asleep in her crib, completely oblivious to the fact that her older sister is talking to her. Even though her parents had moved her into a bigger bedroom on the first floor of the apartment, Lennon still sees the nursery as 'her room' and likes to come and go as she pleases.

"I'll grab her." Beck sighs

"No." Jade stops him "It's cute."

The two of them stand in the doorway to the nursery, watching their older daughter interact with her now two week-old sister. It hadn't taken them long to notice that Lennon disappeared from the living room and they knew exactly where to find her.

"You should wake up now." Lennon says to the baby "I wants to play."

"Alright, now you can grab her."

"Lennon Danielle..." Beck says quietly as he steps into the room "You know you're not supposed to be in the baby's room. Especially when she's asleep."

"Is my room!" Lennon pouts

"No, you have your new big girl room downstairs." Beck reminds her as he picks her up off the floor "Remember? With your new big girl bed?"

"It's almost time for you to take your nap too." Jade nods in agreement "What do you think? Should we go read a story first?"

"No naps!" Lennon pouts "I big girl!"

"Even big girls take naps." Beck tells her "Mommy takes naps."

"That's true, I do."

"Hmf." Lennon pouts as Beck carries her downstairs and to her new room.

They made the switch when Jade was eight months pregnant, that way Lennon would have time to adjust to her new room before the baby was born and her world would only be slightly turned upside down rather than completely. It had gone rather well until the baby was actually born and they brought her home. Then Lennon wanted her old room back. The new baby was sleeping in her old crib and all of her clothes were in her old dresser, she doesn't understand all of the changes.

"You sleep tight, okay Bubs?" Jade tells Lennon as she kisses her forehead "I'll see you soon."

"M'not...tired." Lennon yawns as Beck tucks the blankets in around her

"Just lay here and rest for a little bit then." Beck chuckles "Mommy and I are going to rest too."

"Okay..." Lennon says, her eyes heavy with sleep

Beck and Jade turn off the lamp in her room and sneak quietly out the door, closing it shut behind them.

"Are you actually going to nap?" Jade asks her husband

"No." Beck laughs "I have a script I need to start reading. You can though, if you want. I'll listen for the kids."

"No, I want to stay with you." Jade whines, wrapping her arms around his neck

"You need your rest though. You just had a baby." Beck reminds her with a smile "What if I read the script up in bed while you nap?"

"Alright, fine." Jade agrees, taking his hand and leading him towards the stairs

They knew that having two kids would be harder than having one, there was no denying it. But they're still adjusting to the routine. Having a newborn again was exhausting enough, but having a two and a half year-old on top of that was even harder. Not that they would trade it for anything though, they love their girls and couldn't imagine life without either one of them now that they have both.

Charlotte Nicole Oliver had entered the world in much less dramatic fashion than her sister. Jade had progressed through labor much quicker this time, and didn't have any complications afterwards. The newest Oliver looks just like Lennon had when she was born, almost a carbon copy of Jade. Only this time the baby had Beck's thick dark hair, as opposed to Jade's lighter brown. Lennon's nanny brought her to the hospital to meet the baby later that same day, and the toddler was instantly in love with her sister.

They had known she was going to be a girl, they found out shortly after they returned home from Charlie's funeral in Vancouver, but still decided to name her after her great-grandfather. Charles Nicholas became the more feminine Charlotte Nicole, and Beck's father had teared up when they told him the baby's name. There was a brief discussion about still calling her Charlie as a nickname, but after spending a bit of time with her Beck and Jade both decided that they didn't love the idea. Although she was for sure a Charlotte, she just didn't look like a Charlie. So they decided to stick with Charlotte only, although sometimes they shorten it to just 'Char' or 'CharChar'.

"You'll wake me up if she cries, right?" Jade asks as she climbs into bed

"Right." Beck nods "Wait, which one?"

"I mean, either of them..." Jade chuckles "But I meant Charlotte. Lennon only really cries if she's hurt, scared, or doesn't get her way. Wait...so yes duh, wake me up if she starts crying."

"Just take your nap." Beck tells her "They'll be fine."

* * *

"You look just like your sister." Cat coos as she bounces Charlotte in her arms "Yes you do, yes you do!"

"You think so?" Jade asks her "I always thought Lennon looked like me, but I see way more of Beck in this one."

"I think she looks like you if you had Beck's hair." Cat tells her confidently "And her eyes are a bit darker blue than Lennon's were."

"Yeah, that I have noticed." Jade nods "They're darker now than Lennon's ever were, even when she was first born. We think they're going to turn brown like Beck's."

"Well no matter what, you're a gorgeous little girl." Cat smiles down at the baby "Just like your mama and your sister."

Although she lives in LA now a majority of the time, Cat still makes regular trips to New York whether it be for business, music promotion, or just to visit Beck and Jade. She waited a few weeks before she came to meet the new baby because she knew that there would be family there and didn't want anyone to feel overwhelmed, but she jumped at the first opportunity to come once Jade said it was okay.

"I might have to have two flower girls at my wedding now." Cat chuckles, looking up at Jade "Obviously Lennon is my little buddy, but this one is kind of growing on me too."

"Well as long as you get married before she can walk, that shouldn't be too much of a problem." Jade smiles as she sits down on the couch next to her best friend "How's the planning coming on that, by the way?"

"We're pushing it back again."

"Why?" Jade asks "Another album?"

"Nah, something better." Cat smirks

"Besides your wedding, what could be better than an album?"

"One of these." Cat smiles, nodding to Charlotte

"Are you pregnant?" Jade gasps

"Yeah, I might be." Cat laughs "I might also be due in September."

"Cat, that's amazing!" Jade grins "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks." Cat says "We're going to wait until after the baby is born to get married so that he or she can be apart of it, and we're going to make it a priority now instead of continuously pushing it back. We were thinking maybe around Christmas."

"That sounds like a great idea." Jade tells her "How did Robbie react when you told him?"

"I mean, there's a reason he asked to tag along to the park with Beck and Lennon today." Cat chuckles "He's really nervous, but he shouldn't be. He's going to be a great daddy."

"He will be." Jade agrees "And you'll be a great mommy."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Jade assures her "You're great with my girls, you'll be even better with your own."

"Thanks." Cat smiles a bit "I get the feeling we're having a boy though."

"Why do you say that?"

"I just have this hunch, you know?" Cat sighs "I feel like having a girl would make too much sense. It's for sure a boy."

"Well, Beck will dote all over him." Jade laughs "He wants a son so bad."

"I thought you said he was super happy about having a second girl?"

"Oh, he is." Jade nods "He was like, over the moon, when we found out Charlotte was a girl. He loves having little girls, but now he wants a boy next."

"You're already talking about a third?" Cat asks her "This one is still fresh."

"Don't phrase it like that, she's not produce." Jade says, an odd expression on her face "And _I'm_ not talking about a third, he is. I do want a third eventually, but I can't even _think_ about the possibility until Charlotte is like...potty trained at least."

"Well, I'll try my best to give him a nephew to tide him over." Cat laughs as the door to the apartment swings over

"We're back!" Lennon announces as she toddles over to Jade "Mama up!"

"Ah ah." Jade stops her "What do we say when we want something?"

"Mama up...please?" Lennon repeats

"There we go." Jade nods as she lifts the little girl into her lap "And now what do we say?"

"Thank you."

"Thatta girl." Jade smiles as she kisses the top of Lennon's head "Did you have fun at the park?"

"Yeah!" Lennon cheers "Uncle Robbie is silly!"

"Oh is he?"

"What'd he do?" Cat asks

"Someone got himself stuck in the swirly slide." Beck informs the two women as he bends down to kiss his wife "Hi."

"Hi." Jade smiles up at him "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"You got stuck in the swirly slide?" Cat shakes her head at her fiancé

"Listen, those things were way bigger when I was a kid. I swear." Robbie defends himself

"How'd you get out?" Cat asks

"Daddy helped him." Lennon tells her

"Daddy helped him?" Jade shoots her husband an amused look

"Yeah." Beck sighs "I had to reach up in there and grab his feet and pull him out."

"Oh I wish I could have seen that."

"You probably will by the end of the day." Robbie admits "The paps caught all of it on camera."

"Oh lovely." Jade smiles "I can't wait to read that headline."

"I'm going to repost those pictures on Instagram." Cat tells Robbie as he sits down on the couch beside her "That should be documented."

"I was just trying to be a good uncle and take my niece down the slide!" Robbie insists "Right, Len?"

"I a big girl, Uncle Robbie." Lennon tells him "I go by myself."

"She said it, not us." Jade laughs

"Anyway." Robbie says flatly "What did you guys do while we were gone?"

"We just sat and talked and caught up." Cat tells him "And fawned over Miss Charlotte here."

"Yeah, she's pretty cute." Robbie smirks as he strokes the baby's cheek "Did you tell her?"

"I did."

"Tell her what?" Beck asks

"I'm pregnant." Cat tells him

"That's awesome!" Beck's face lights up "Congratulations, you guys."

"Thank you." Cat and Robbie say in unison

"Welcome!" Lennon cheers, causing all of the adults to laugh

"Lennon, Aunt Cat has a baby in her tummy." Jade explains to the toddler "Just like I did."

"More sisters?" Lennon exclaims

"No!" All of the adults are quick to clarify

"Charlotte is your sister because you and her both have the same mommy and daddy." Beck tries his best to explain "Aunt Cat is going to be her baby's mommy, and Uncle Robbie is going to be the baby's daddy. Does that make sense?"

"No."

"I'm your mommy. I'm also Charlotte's mommy, so that makes her your sister." Jade clarifies "Aunt Cat's baby won't be your sister because Aunt Cat isn't your mommy. That means the baby will be your cousin."

"Oh okay."

"It'll be another friend for you to play with." Robbie adds "How does that sound?"

"Oh yay!" Lennon grins "I love to play!"

* * *

"We need to set a limit on the amount of stories she's allowed to have read to her before bedtime." Jade sighs, walking into the master bedroom after putting Lennon to bed "I think we read 'just one more' about four times."

"She definitely knows how to milk it when she doesn't want to go to sleep." Beck chuckles, bouncing a fussy baby in his arms "But speaking of milk, this one is hungry."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Jade sighs as she climbs into bed next to him and takes the baby in her arms "I'm sorry Char, your sister was trying to stay up past her bedtime and threw everyone's schedules off."

Charlotte calms down instantly the minute her mother starts to feed her, and both Beck and Jade relax a bit knowing that she's that easily satisfied and won't fuss for the time being.

"Oh my god..." Jade sighs, leaning her head back against the headboard as Charlotte eats "It's just barely 8:30 and I'm absolutely exhausted."

"That's what two kids under three will do to you, I guess." Beck chuckles, grabbing his script off of his bedside table to begin reading it

"We're old and boring now." Jade tells him

"Jade, we're twenty-seven."

"And it's 8:30 on a Friday night and we're in bed."

"Because we're still adjusting to a new baby." He reminds her as he sets the script down and rolls over to face her, propping his head up on his elbow "We are neither old nor boring. We're just figuring our lives out again."

"I know, you're right." Jade agrees "I shouldn't even be complaining. We're luckier than most."

"That's true, we are."

"I'm luckier than most."

"Care to clarify?"

"Because like thirteen years ago I met this stupid boy." She smirks at him "And the stupid boy changed my life. Now I've been married to him for eight years, and I let him knock me up twice, and we have these two beautiful perfect baby girls. And whenever I go off on tangents, he's the one who brings me back to Earth. Sometimes he drives me crazy, but he's the best husband and the best baby daddy a girl could ever ask for."

"He sounds pretty awesome to me." Beck shrugs

"He is."

"He almost sounds as awesome as my wife."

"Oh really?" Jade raises an eyebrow at him "Tell me about her."

"Well for starters, she's drop dead gorgeous." Beck begins "And that's without any make up or anything. And when she's all glammed up? Fuck, she brings me to my _knees_. Not to mention she's an incredibly talented actress, and the best friend I could ever ask for. And on top of all of that, she's the best mom in the world."

"Alright, you win the compliment battle tonight." Jade laughs as Charlotte finishes eating

"Want me to put her in her room?" Beck offers as Jade readjusts her shirt

"Nah, I'll do it." Jade says as she stands up

She brings Charlotte around to Beck's side of the bed so that he can kiss her goodnight, then carries the sleeping infant into the nursery down the hall and places her gently in her crib. After waiting for a few minutes to make sure that the baby doesn't wake up or fuss at all, Jade goes back to her bedroom and walks directly into the closet. She discards her leggings and long-sleeve shirt and trades them for a pair of running shorts and one of Beck's t-shirts, then walks back to the main part of the bedroom as she pulls her hair into a ponytail.

"She go down okay?" Beck asks her

"Yup, didn't even fuss at all when I put her in the crib." Jade tells him as she pulls back the blankets on her side of the bed and crawls in "Oh, I could fall asleep right now."

"Go ahead." Beck offers "I'm almost done here anyways."

"No, I don't want to put you behind on getting through that in time."

"I'm way ahead of where I need to be." Beck assures her as he tucks his script away in the drawer of his bedside table "Just let me change real quick and I'll turn the lights off."

"Mhmkay." Jade smiles sleepily as she adjusts her head on her pillow

Beck changes into his pajamas as well, which are really just his boxers and an old t-shirt, then switches off the bedroom lights and crawls into bed next to his wife. It's a habit now, after eight years of marriage, for his arm to find its way around her waist and pull her as close to him as possible.

"Goodnight." Jade turns her head to kiss him "I love you."

"I love you more." He assures her as she sets her head back down on her pillow "Goodnight."

Her hand finds its way to his and they intertwine their fingers before closing their eyes and beginning to fall asleep.

"Beck?"

"Hm?"

"I love you the most."


	20. Home

"What's up with you?" Beck asks as he enters the office "You look upset."

Jade is sitting at her desk with her laptop in front of her, and a perplexed look on her face as she reads what's on the screen.

"M'not upset." She sighs, closing the browser "Just a little frustrated."

"What's got you frustrated?"

"Nothing." She assures him as she shuts the laptop and stands up from her desk "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Jade." Beck grabs her hand as she walks by him and pulls her close to him, wrapping his arms around her waist "We've been together for what, close to thirteen years now? You really think I can't tell when something is upsetting you?"

"The girls need me." Jade says as she tries to break away from him

"The girls are napping." Beck reminds her as he hugs her tighter "C'mon, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to tell you." Jade pouts "It's going to make me seem like a bad mom."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"I..." Jade sighs "I just had to turn down another role because it would require me to travel and I don't want to leave the girls."

"That doesn't make you seem like a bad mom." Beck smiles "It makes you seem like a great mom."

"Yeah, but the only problem is I'm upset about it." Jade admits "I _want_ to be able to work, but I don't want to be limited to stuff that is only in the city or like, within an hour. It was different when we were young and desperate for work, but now that we can afford to be picky..."

"You wish you had other options?"

"Exactly." Jade nods "And it's not like I'm unhappy with anything that I've done, but I want to be able to explore new areas without feeling like I'm abandoning my kids, you know?"

"I do know." Beck tells her "And actually I've been thinking lately-"

"Uh oh." Jade smirks "You? Thinking? That can't be good."

"Hear me out." Beck chuckles "New York isn't necessarily a _bad_ place for actors and actresses to be based, but it's not necessarily the best place either. The best place would be-"

"Los Angeles."

"Possibly." Beck shrugs "And the girls are getting older, they're going to need a bit more space. Not that we don't have space here but we live in an apartment building and as soon as you walk outside you hit the street."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that maybe it's time to go back to LA." Beck tells her "The city has really offered us all that it can, and if we move back you and I instantly have way more job opportunities that aren't limited to just one specific theme. And we won't have to travel all over to get to them or spend time away from each other. Not to mention we could buy a real house, with a backyard and a pool for the girls. Plus we could be near our families."

"Being near our families is a good thing?"

"For the girls it would be, yeah." Beck laughs "C'mon, Jade. I had such a special relationship with my grandparents, I want them to be able to have the same. Especially because they have a bonus pair on your side."

"That's fair enough."

"And you'd be closer to Cat." Beck adds "I mean, I'm sure as soon as she has the baby and gets married, she'll be touring again but home would be the same city for you two. And Tori and Andre are there too."

"So you're saying we should move back to Los Angeles then?"

"I'm just throwing the suggestion out there." Beck assures her "What do you think?"

"I think you make a very convincing argument." Jade admits

"So you think it's a good idea?"

"I do." She sighs

"You don't seem very happy about it."

"It's the right choice. It's just a hard one." She assures him "I mean, we've been here for almost ten years. We got engaged here, I graduated from school here, we found our first acting jobs here, both of our kids were born here, Broadway...I know Los Angeles was our first home but New York is home too."

"Aw..." Beck smiles a bit as he presses a kiss to her forehead "New York will always be home to us too, especially because of all of those reasons you listed. We could always keep this place, you know. For when we need to come for work, because you know eventually work will bring us back here again it's inevitable. Or we could spend summers here or school breaks-"

"School." Jade gasps "I'm not ready for them to be in school."

"Well, we still have about another year before we really have to worry about Lennon. And Charlotte can't even sit up on her own yet." Beck reminds her "But if we are serious about doing this, we should start looking into it. Because I don't want to have to put Lennon in school here and then uproot her once she's already settled in and made friends."

"We'd already be uprooting her, don't you think?" Jade points out "I mean, this is all she's ever known. She's visited LA a few times before, but never for longer than a week."

"It would be an adjustment for her." Beck nods "But I think she'd be okay."

"You do?"

"Oh yeah." Beck laughs "Being around Cat and our parents way more? She'd love that. Throw in a pool, maybe even a swing set? She's fine."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Jade smirks "It's the little things with that kid."

"So, what do you think?" Beck asks his wife "Should we go home?"

"Yeah." Jade admits with a smile "Let's go home."

* * *

"Let's swim!" Lennon exclaims, running towards the glass doors out to the patio

It had been quite a big day for her already. She got to ride on an airplane, and then in a fancy car. Now Mommy and Daddy have brought her to a big house with lots of room for her to run, _and_ there's a pool in the backyard.

"Not right now, Len." Jade tells her, pulling her out of the way of the movers "There's too much going on."

"But-"

"No buts." Jade sighs, adjusting now four month-old Charlotte on her hip "We talked about this, remember? I know it's new and exciting but we still have to be on our best behavior, okay?"

"Okay..." Lennon sighs

"Excuse me?" Beck says to one of the movers as he passes him with a box "Please be super careful with that one. It's worth probably more than this house is."

"Of course, Mr. Oliver."

"What's so special about that box specifically?" Jade asks him

"That's my Oscar, your Emmy and Tony, and all five of our Golden Globe awards."

"You put them all in one box?" Jade exclaims "Beck! What would have happened if that had gotten lost?"

"It didn't though!" Beck points out "And they're insured. Aren't they?"

"You're so lucky they all made it here in one piece."

"Well technically we don't know if they're in one piece." Beck shrugs "I haven't opened the box yet."

"Beck!"

"I'm sure they're all fine." He smiles nervously, holding his arms out to take Charlotte "Need a hand?"

"Yes please." Jade nods as she hands the baby over to her father

It took them about a month to find a house in LA that they loved enough to purchase, and then two additional months after that to actually go through the buying process and to set up the logistics of the move. They purchased most of the furniture entirely new, so there wasn't much besides clothes and personal items that they actually needed to worry about bringing across the country.

The house itself is tuscan style and sits at the end of a long, private driveway. There's eight bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms, providing them with significantly more space than their apartment in New York, even though that was quite spacious as well. The property is nine acres total, and there's a pool and hot tub in the backyard along with plenty of room for Lennon and Charlotte to play. Beck has even contacted a company about putting in a swing set and a trampoline. They can see the Hollywood sign from their backyard, and the sunsets are absolutely gorgeous.

All three sets of Lennon and Charlotte's grandparents live within thirty minutes of them. Jade's younger brother is in college now, attending University of California, Berkeley, but will come home every once and a while to visit his parents. Tori and Andre, who are now living together, aren't that far either. And Cat and Robbie...

"Helloooo?" Cat singsongs as she walks through the door, a bottle of champagne in hand and Robbie following close behind her "Anybody home?"

"What are you guys doing here?" Jade laughs, taking the bottle from Cat "You shouldn't have this."

"She wanted to carry it." Robbie sighs

"I can carry alcohol, I just can't drink it." Cat rolls her eyes "And we're here to meet our new neighbors."

"I wouldn't exactly call us neighbors..." Jade shrugs "You live four blocks away."

"Living in the same gated community makes us neighbors." Cat says matter-of-factly

"Yes ma'am." Jade laughs "I'll go put this in the kitchen."

"I'll take it." Robbie offers "Is Beck around?"

"Yeah he and Charlotte are bossing the movers around." Jade tells him "He's here somewhere."

"I'll find him." Robbie laughs as Jade hands him the champagne

"Aunt Cap!" Lennon exclaims, running over to Cat

"Ca-t, kiddo. With a 't'." Cat sighs "Why is it just _my_ name she has problems with?"

"It's not even your name, it's just you." Jade laughs "She can say 'cat' like the animal no problem."

"Why me then?"

"C'mon, it's cute!" Jade assures her "It's like her own little nickname for you."

"Aunt Cap!" Lennon groans, pulling at Cat's shirt

Beck and Jade had warned her multiple times not to jump up on Cat the way she sometimes does with adults. Now seven months pregnant with her son, Cat most likely wouldn't be able to catch her and they would both end up falling over.

"I know, I'm sorry." Cat apologizes as she kneels down to hug her goddaughter "Hey, kiddo. I missed you! I'm so happy you get to be close to me again!"

"I happy too!" Lennon grins

"Jadey..." Cat extends a hand to her friend "Help."

"I gotcha." Jade smirks as she helps her friend back to her feet, then places a hand on her baby bump "How's baby Jaden doing today?"

"He's fine." Cat chuckles "But that's not his name."

"Are you sure?" Jade asks, pressing an ear to her friend's abdomen "He says it is."

"He knows his name." Cat promises her "He just won't tell you."

"Yeah, neither will his mom."

"You kept both of your names from me until they were born." Cat reminds her "This is payback."

Cat and Robbie stay for a few hours. Beck and Jade give them a tour of the house, and Lennon shows them the pool. After they leave and the movers have cleared out the Oliver's order a pizza and eat it out on the patio by the pool, except for Charlotte who still mainly relies on milk for most meals. After dinner, Beck takes Lennon swimming while Jade feeds the baby. Then it's bath time for both kids and off to bed.

"When are we going home?" Lennon asks as Beck helps her climb into bed

"What do you mean, silly goose?" He laughs "We are home."

"No, back to our house." Lennon clarifies

"Len, this is our _new_ house." Jade reminds her as she sits down on the edge of her bed "We're going to live here now instead."

"Why?"

"So we can be closer to your grandmas and your grandpas." Beck tells her "And Aunt Cat and Uncle Robbie and the baby. And Uncle Andre and Aunt Tori."

He doesn't dare mention work.

"But..." Lennon pouts, her voice quivering "I like the old one."

"Oh Bubs, we did too." Jade sighs, looking to Beck "But sometimes change can be good."

"No change!"

"Lennon..." Back says calmly "It's just weird right now because it's new and different. It's weird for me and Mommy right now too but-"

"And CharChar." Lennon adds

"Yes, I'm sure it's weird for Charlotte too." Beck nods "But after we get used to it, it's going to be so much fun! We have a pool, remember?"

"Yeah..." Lennon smiles as bit as she stifles a yawn "Pool is fun."

"It sure is." Beck agrees, leaning down to kiss her goodnight "But you've had a big day. So you need to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay." Lennon yawns "G'night..."

"Goodnight." He smiles, then moves so Jade can kiss her as well

"Goodnight, Bubs." She whispers "I love you, see you tomorrow."

Beck and Jade walk quietly out of Lennon's room. Jade bends down to turn on her nightlight, then closes the door tightly behind her.

"Did we make a mistake?" She asks her husband immediately "Moving here? She's upset."

"What?" He laughs "Jade, she's not even three yet. She just doesn't get it."

"What if she doesn't ever adjust?"

"She will." Beck assures her "You worry too much."

"I'm a mom, it's my job."

"Well, can you worry a little less? At least for right now?" Beck smirks "We have a new bedroom to christen."

"Right." Jade grins as she jumps up and wraps her legs around his waist so he can carry her "Lead the way."

* * *

"Oh Cat, he's beautiful." Jade gasps as she peeks into the baby's bassinet "Absolutely adorable."

"I know right?" Cat smiles, looking at Robbie "We got a good one."

They opted not to visit the baby at the hospital, they didn't want to draw any additional paparazzi. But as soon as Cat and Robbie brought the baby home, Beck, Jade, Lennon, and Charlotte were their first visitors.

"I see?" Lennon asks

"Sure." Jade nods as she picks the toddler up "Remember to be quiet, okay? Just like when sissy was born, we don't want to scare the baby."

"Okay." Lennon nods as Jade holds her up to the bassinet "Hi baby..."

"Elijah." Jade tells her daughter quietly "That's his name."

"Elijah?"

"Yeah." Robbie smiles, reaching into the bassinet to pick up the baby "Elijah William Valentine-Shapiro. But you can call him Eli."

"Hi Eli." Lennon smiles "He's cute."

"Don't get any ideas, Lennon." Beck says flatly

"Oh my god, Beck." Jade rolls her eyes "She's two and a half."

"I don't care. She's not dating anyone ever." Beck tells her as he bounces Charlotte on his hip "And neither are you, Little Miss."

"Is my son not good enough for your daughters, Oliver?" Robbie asks, pretending to be offended

"No." Beck says "But don't take it personally. No boy is."

"When can he play with us?" Lennon asks Cat, oblivious to the conversation happening around her

"Oh, not for a while, kiddo." Cat frowns "He's still little."

"Like Char?"

"Littler than Charlotte."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, Len. You'll all get to play together eventually." Jade assures her daughter "We'll make sure of it."

"Okay." Lennon nods "Can I see Aunt Cap?"

Jade looks to Cat for some indication of an answer, and Cat nods her head.

"Don't jump, okay?" Jade tells Lennon as she sets her on Cat's bed "Aunt Cat is still a bit sore."

"Okay." Lennon agrees as she crawls over to Cat, who wraps her up in a hug

"Do you want to hold him, Jade?" Robbie asks

"Yes please." Jade grins, holding her arms out

Robbie gently transfers the baby into her arms, and Jade adjusts him so he's resting comfortably in the crook of her arm. Even though Charlotte is only six months old at this point, it still feels strange to be holding a baby so tiny again.

"Hey Eli..." She smiles, rocking him a bit "I'm Aunt Jade. And no matter what Tori tells you, _I'm_ the fun one."

"He looks like you, Rob." Beck says, looking over his wife's shoulder at the baby

"You think?" Robbie smirks "I see more Cat in him."

"He has her eyes." Jade remarks "But everything else is you."

"You look good holding a little boy." Beck tells her with a smirk

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Jade laughs "You want one."

Jade wants one too. She wants at least one boy, and would prefer their next one to be a boy. That way they could stop after three.

"Like you don't?"

"Well not yet." Jade laughs "I just popped out the one you're holding."

Beck smiles and kisses Charlotte's cheek, which makes the baby giggle.

"I'm only teasing." He assures her "But we will try for one one day, won't we?"

"One day." Jade nods with a smile "Just not any day soon."

"Alright." Beck grins as he kisses her cheek "I'm willing to wait."


	21. Family Life

"Well aren't you two just the prettiest little flower girls?" Tori grins as she kneels down to Lennon's height "I love your dress."

"Thank you, Aunt Tori." Lennon giggles "I love yours too. It looks like Mommy's."

"It does, doesn't it?"

With Cat and Robbie getting married close to Christmas, they had decided, well Cat had decided and Robbie had gone along with, a red and white wedding theme. Jade and Tori, as well as the rest of Cat's bridesmaids, all wear deep red dresses while the groomsmen wear black tuxedos with white shirts and matching red vests and ties. Charlotte and Lennon are wearing matching white flower girl dresses with red ribbons tied around their waists. The women will carry bouquets of red and white roses with the exception of Jade, who will be holding Elijah during the ceremony.

"Alright, Bubs. Do you remember what to do?" Beck asks Lennon as he lifts Charlotte into the tiny wagon that Cat and Robbie had made for the ceremony

The nine month-old is starting to make attempts at walking but she isn't nearly coordinated enough to walk down the aisle on her own yet, even if she were to be holding her older sister's hand. So, Lennon will pull her in a wagon to the front of the church, where Jade's mother will keep an eye on them while Beck and Jade stand with their friends on their special day.

"I pull the wagon, but be gentle so I don't scare sissy." Lennon tells him "And I pull it all the way to Grandma and then she'll help me."

"Exactly right." Beck tells the three year-old as he kisses the top of her head "Aunt Cat will tell you when to go, okay?"

"Okay."

"And be on your best behavior, do you understand?" Beck warns her "This is a very special day for Aunt Cat and Uncle Robbie and we don't want to ruin it."

"I know, Daddy." Lennon nods

"Alright." He kisses her again, and then kisses Charlotte as well just as Robbie walks over to him "Hey, man. How ya feelin?"

"Nervous." Robbie admits with a smile "But ready."

"Good." Beck chuckles "Because it's almost showtime."

Robbie is the first one to proceed down the aisle after the officiant, and it's only after he's left that Cat and Jade enter the holding area with Elijah, who is now close to three months old. The baby is dressed in a red vest and black suit pants just like his father and the groomsmen, and has a red pacifier in his mouth to match.

"Eli!" Lennon exclaims, running over to her mother and aunt

"Stay by the wagon, Lennon Danielle." Jade warns her daughter "Remember the rules? We'll bring him over so you can see."

"Alright..." Lennon sighs, walking back over to the wagon

"He's dressed just like Daddy and Uncle Robbie, see?" Cat smiles as she adjusts the baby in her arms for Lennon to see

"He's so cute." Lennon giggles "Like a baby doll."

"Kind of, yeah." Cat agrees, turning to Jade "Here, you should probably take him. It's almost your turn."

"C'mere little guy." Jade coos as she takes the baby in her arms "You ready to go melt everyone's hearts?"

"I can't get over how handsome he is." Cat sighs as she adjusts one of the baby's socks "You be on your best behavior for Aunt Jade, do you understand me Elijah William? Don't give her any trouble."

"Oh he won't." Jade assures her "Are you sure you want to keep the pacifier in though?"

"For the ceremony? Absolutely." Cat nods "We can try taking it out for pictures, but if he's happy right now I want him to stay that way."

"Fair enough." Jade chuckles "You look beautiful, Cat."

"Thank you." Cat grins "I can't believe I'm finally getting married."

"Enjoy today." Jade tells her "You'll remember it for the rest of your life."

The ceremony is beautiful. Lennon, Charlotte, and Elijah are all perfectly behaved, which makes the whole event much easier for their parents to enjoy as well. What everyone is really looking forward to though, is the reception. Cat and Robbie certainly know how to throw a party, and their wedding celebration is expected to be even more fantastic. Lennon and Charlotte are allowed to stay for dinner and for about twenty minutes after just to dance for a little bit, but then the new nanny that Beck and Jade hired upon moving to LA, Stephanie, takes them home so that they can get to bed on time and so that their parents can enjoy the rest of the evening. Cat and Robbie also send Elijah home with a nanny, and all of the adults are free to enjoy themselves.

"This stuff isn't half bad." Jade chuckles as she finishes off the last of her champagne and sets the flute down on the table "We should have had some of it at our wedding."

Beck laughs at her statement, because both of them know very well that they were still two years away from being able to legally drink when they got married. Jade's father still makes comments on how much money he saved not having to pay for excess amounts of alcohol at the reception because both the bride and groom were still underage.

"That's the difference between getting married at nineteen and getting married at twenty-eight." He reminds her with a smirk "Would you like to dance, Mrs. Oliver?"

"Why yes I would, Mr. Oliver." She smiles, extending a hand to him "Thank you."

He leads her out into the crowded dance floor and they dance around together for a little bit, before a slow song comes on and changes the mood in the room. Some people, mostly those who are single, make their way back to their tables and some space on the dance floor clears up. Jade wraps her arms around Beck's neck and he wraps his around her waist as they sway gently back and forth to 'That's When I Knew' by Alicia Keys.

"It's funny that the random DJ Cat and Robbie hired for _their_ wedding chose to play our first dance song from _our_ wedding." Jade smirks as she rests her head against Beck's shoulder

"I might have slipped him ten bucks to play it." Beck admits "Is that okay?"

"Yeah that's fine." Jade smiles up at him "But if Cat asks, it was random."

"Alright." Beck laughs

The two of them make brief eye contact for a moment, each able to see the overwhelming love in the other's gaze, before sharing a kiss.

"I love you." Jade tells him as she rests her head on his shoulder again

"I love you too."

* * *

"Y'know what's ridiculous?" Beck says to Jade one day as they're standing in the kitchen

Jade says nothing to him at first, but an expression crosses her face to show that she's trying to decide if she wants to answer his question sarcastically or not.

"There's so many ways I could answer that." She says seriously

"We've been in LA for how long now?"

"Almost a year." She tells him, opening a cabinet to put away the sippy cups she had just washed "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Exactly." Beck tells her "We've been here for almost a year and we've never taken the girls to Disneyland."

"Ah." Jade chuckles, hopping up on the kitchen island "So that's where this is going. You know that you and I have been kinda busy with this thing called...our _jobs_? You know, where we go to set and say some lines and someone films us doing it? Then they pay us a lot of money?"

"Right, right. I know." Beck laughs "But I want to take them to Disneyland."

"Lennon might have fun, but Charlotte won't understand any of it." Jade reminds him

"So we have to go on the rides for little kids." Beck shrugs "We can take them again and again as they grow up. And think about how excited they'll be to meet the princesses."

"Are you sure you're pushing so hard for their sake?" Jade raises an eyebrow at him "Sounds to me like you're going to be more excited about it than they are."

"Uh, it's Disneyland." Beck says flatly "Who wouldn't be excited?"

A week later, Beck and Jade stand in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland. Beck holds Lennon and Jade holds Charlotte as they pose for pictures, the entire family clad in Mickey Mouse ears. They've been recognized by quite a few people already, but there's Disney security with them to ensure that things don't get out of hand.

"Why do people keep trying to talk to you and Mommy?" Lennon asks as Beck carries her through the park towards the Fantasyland section "Do you know them?"

"Well..." Beck sighs "No, Mommy and I don't know these people. But they know us."

"What?"

"Lots of people know me and Mommy because we're famous."

"What does famous mean?"

"It means a lot of people know who we are." Beck explains "You know how we go to work and make movies? Sometimes TV shows?"

"Yeah."

"Well when we make movies and TV shows, someone video tapes us with a camera." He tells her "That way other people can see us do it. And then they show the movies in the theaters and the TV shows on TV and a lot of people watch them. So when we're out and about like this, sometimes people recognize us and want to say hi because they've seen us on their screens. Kind of like how you guys are going to be excited to meet Mickey and Minnie, because you watch them on TV."

"I didn't know you were as...did you say famous...?"

"Yes, that's the word."

"As famous as Mickey Mouse!"

"Well, we're not quite _that_ famous." Beck chuckles "But, people still know who we are."

"Am I famous too?" Lennon asks him "People are saying hi to me. And they're saying hi to Charlotte."

"You kind of are, yeah."

"But we're not in movies and TV shows."

"Well no, you're not." Beck agrees "But people have seen pictures of you before. And sometimes when Mommy and I get interviewed, we talk about you."

"What does interviewed mean?"

"It's when people as us questions."

"Am I interviewing you right now?"

"Yeah." Beck chuckles "You kind of are."

There aren't many rides that Lennon and Charlotte are tall enough to go on, but they do enjoy the ones they get to experience. Most of them involve characters that the two young girls can recognize, and Beck and Jade have more fun watching their daughters have fun than they do actually going on the rides themselves. Lennon is infatuated by Princess Ariel and when Jade tells her that Cat used to have red hair just like her, she doesn't believe her.

"There's lots of pictures at home." Jade tells her "Believe me, I'll show you."

"But Aunt Cap isn't a princess!" Lennon says

"Not as far as you know." Jade laughs

By mid-afternoon Charlotte is fast asleep in Jade's arms and Lennon is growing cranky as well, so Beck and Jade decide it's probably best if they head home. Within five minutes of being in the car Lennon is also fast asleep in her carseat, clutching her new Minnie Mouse plush toy tightly to her chest.

"See?" Beck smiles over at Jade "I told you it would be fun."

"I never said it wouldn't be fun." Jade smirks "I just said you might have more fun than they would. I was wrong about that though, they for sure had a lot of fun. Both of them."

"See?"

"Yeah yeah." Jade rolls her eyes "I heard you talking to Lennon earlier, about the whole famous thing."

"And?"

"Well, did she understand it?"

"About as well as a three and a half year-old can." Beck shrugs "She's not scared or anything, if that's what you're asking."

"Good." Jade nods, looking back at her two sleeping children "The last thing I want would be for either one of them to be scared because of lifestyle choices we made and they got no say in."

"They might be annoyed with it when they're older." Beck sighs "But for right now, I honestly think Lennon thinks it's kind of cool. We have Mickey Mouse level status to her right now."

"Well then." Jade laughs "Go us."

* * *

Lennon and Charlotte Oliver are four and two years old respectively the first time they attend a red carpet event with their parents.

After seeing the pictures from the family's visit to Disneyland and reading Beck and Jade's tweets about it, the company had approached both of them and asked if they would like to voice characters in an upcoming animated film that was being made. Of course both of them had said yes, knowing that they would be stupid not to and that their daughters would both be thrilled. Beck is voicing a dragon named Harry, and Jade a fairy named Shay. They're both secondary characters who act as companions to the lead, but most importantly to Beck and Jade neither one of them is a villain. The last thing that either of them wanted was to get their daughters all excited about their being in a popular children's movie, only to turn out to be the bad guy.

"Remember, there's going to be people with cameras taking your picture." Jade warns her daughters as their car pulls up to the red carpet "Some of them might even say your names, but you don't need to be scared of them, okay?"

"What if we do get scared?" Lennon asks

"Yeah." Charlottes agrees "What if I scared?"

"We'll hold your hands the entire time." Beck assures them both "And if for some reason you do get scared, we'll be right there to protect you."

"Okay."

The car comes to a stop and Beck hops out first, as Jade unbuckles both girls from their car seats. He extends a hand to his wife and helps her out of the car, and then they both help Lennon and Charlotte. Lennon is willing to walk on her own, but Charlotte is immediately intimidated by the crowd of people. So Beck carries her in while Lennon holds tight to Jade's hand. The photographers aren't screaming like they do at events geared more towards adults, which Beck and Jade are thankful for. They do shout and raise their voices a bit to try and get them to look in certain directions for pictures, but their tones are more ambitious than they are mean.

Lennon enjoys the attention, which doesn't surprise Beck or Jade. She's definitely the more outgoing of their two children, and is willing to pose and smile for as many photographers as she can. She even takes pictures on her own without either of her parents or her sister, which amuses everyone quite a bit.

"That's all you." Beck tells his wife as they watch Lennon "She doesn't get any of that from me."

"Are you kidding?" Jade laughs "I still get nervous coming to these things, that's the you in her coming out right now."

"She's being herself, unapologetically." Beck laughs as he kisses Jade's cheek "Just like her mom."

"Alright, that was sweet. So I won't argue with you...at least not this time."

The photographers and interviewers make comments about how much both girls look like Jade, with the exception of Charlotte's thick, dark hair that she clearly inherited from her father. Eventually, walk-around versions of Beck and Jade's characters, similar to the ones that you might see in one of the theme parks, come to meet Lennon and Charlotte and then take pictures with the family as well. The carpet is such an event that Jade worries both of her daughters might fall asleep during the movie, but both of them are completely immersed and sit and watch it wide-eyed.

"I thought you said that you guys were going to be _in_ the movie." Lennon remarks as they climb into their car to go home afterwards

"We were." Both Beck and Jade say in unison

"We did the voices." Jade explains "Didn't you think Harry the dragon sounded a bit like Daddy?"

"I mean, I guess." Lennon shrugs "Which one were you?"

"The fairy..." Jade says flatly, causing Beck to laugh "I was Shay."

"The fairy did sound like Mama!" Charlotte exclaims

"Thank you, Char." Jade chuckles "Lennon, we'll have to make sure you see it again so you get a chance to listen for us."

"That's fine." Lennon grins "I loved that movie. I'll see it a million times."

"Good." Beck laughs "Because you probably will."

"I wantta stuffed Harry dragon." Charlotte tells them "Please?"

"I'll see what I can do." Beck tells her "Did you like the movie too, Char?"

"Yeah!" Charlotte exclaims "We see again?"

"Yes of course."

"You know this will probably be the only project of ours that they actually like, right?" Jade tells her husband "At least until they're older."

"You're probably right." Beck agrees with a smile "Congrats on your new movie, by the way."

"Thank you. Congrats on yours." Jade smiles as she leans over to kiss him

"EW!" Lennon and Charlotte both exclaim

"Oh, you don't like it when we kiss?" Beck asks them

"No!" Lennon tells him "Kissing is gross."

"Oh, watch this then." Jade tells her, kissing Beck again but more comically and animated this time

"Ew! Mom, stop!"

"Mama, ew!"

"We'll wait until later." Beck tells his wife with a wink "They're too young to see what comes next anyways."


	22. A Decade

"Alright, I have the swimsuits..." Jade sighs as she triple checks her luggage "Flip flops...dresses...shorts...birth cont-"

"Are you almost ready, Mrs. Oliver?" Beck whispers in her ear as he sneaks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, squeezing her tightly

"Beck!" Jade almost shrieks "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry." He smirks, loosening his grip a bit so she can spin around and face him "I'm just a little anxious to get going is all."

"Well, we're not going anywhere until I finish packing." She reminds him as he begins kissing her neck "And until my mom gets here."

"Well do you want a little sneak preview of the week's events?"

"Beck Oliver!" Jade laughs "Our children are downstairs and very much awake. You're going to have to keep it in your pants for a little while long-"

"Mommy!" Charlotte exclaims, running into the bedroom "Daddy!"

"Charlotte!" Jade grins, pushing Beck off of her and onto the bed "What's up, Little Miss?"

"When's Grandma coming?"

"Soon." Jade tells her "Why don't you go downstairs and-"

"There you are, Char." Lennon sighs, entering the bedroom as well "You were supposed to come and find me."

"I tried." Charlotte shrugs "You hid too good."

"Too well." Jade corrects her daughter's grammar "She hid too well."

At this point, Beck knows that any chance of him and Jade having a moment has been completely ruined. So he sits up and scoots to the edge of the bed, grabs Lennon, and pulls her into his lap.

"Daddy!" Lennon giggles "What are you doing?"

"I'm not Daddy!" Beck says in a goofy voice "I'm the tickle monster!"

"Oh no!" Jade laughs as she finishes throwing things into her suitcase and zips it close "Run, Lennon, run!"

"I'll help you, Len!" Charlotte exclaims, climbing onto the bed and jumping onto her father's back "Let her go!"

"Alright, alright. Be careful." Jade warns, reaching an arm out to grab Charlotte as she falls off of Beck's back "We don't need any hospital visits today."

"How long are you guys going to be gone again?" Lennon asks as Beck loosens his grip and lets her slide off of his lap

"Ten days." He tells her "But don't worry, you'll be having so much fun with your grandmas that you won't even notice that we're gone."

In three days time, Beck and Jade were going to be celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. A decade of marriage is a big deal and they wanted to mark the occasion by doing something special, and in less than an hour would be leaving to spend ten full days in the Maldives. Jade's mother would watch Lennon and Charlotte for the first five days, and then switch off with Beck's mother who would watch them for the last five.

"It's going to feel like _forever_." Charlotte groans "I'm going to miss you!"

"We'll miss you too, Char." Jade tells her "But like Dad said, you're going to have so much fun you won't even care."

"Can I come with you?"

"No." Beck and Jade say in unison

"It's their _anniversary,_ Charlotte." Lennon reminds her sister "They want to be _alone_."

"Exactly." Beck agrees "Sometimes mommies and daddies need a little alone time together. That doesn't mean we don't love you, it just means that we want to make sure that the other knows they're loved too."

"Fine..." Charlotte sighs, just as the doorbell rings "Grandma!"

She runs out of the bedroom to make her way downstairs, and Lennon follows closely behind her. Beck and Jade both laugh as they watch their daughters run off.

"Alright, c'mere." Jade smirks, grabbing the fabric of Beck's t-shirt so she can pull him close to her and slip her tongue into his mouth "There's your preview of the week's events."

"If that's the preview, I can't wait to see the actual movie." Beck grins as he stumbles back from her

"Grab the suitcase." Jade rolls her eyes with a smile

"Yes ma'am."

Beck grabs Jade's suitcase off of the bed and slings his own duffle bag over his shoulder, then follows his wife out of their bedroom. They make their way down to the main foyer of their home, where Lennon and Charlotte are already talking excitedly with Kaitlyn.

"..and we can go swimming every night" Lennon says quickly "and we can watch all of the movies that we have and me and Char can show you how the trampoline works and and and"

"Lennon Danielle." Jade laughs, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders "Grandma just got here, give her a chance to breathe."

"I'm just excited that she's here!"

"I'm excited too, Len." Kaitlyn smiles

If Beck and Jade ever have to both leave their daughters at the same time for longer than a night, they usually opt to have them stay with one of their parents rather than a nanny. It's not that they don't feel that the nanny isn't capable, they just know that Lennon and Charlotte would feel more comfortable with their grandparents. They also know that their parents are always looking to spend extra time with the girls and would never turn down the opportunity to babysit.

"Well, I would give you the rundown...but I know you're going to completely disregard it and spoil them rotten." Jade sighs with a smile as she addresses her mother

"What are grandmas for?" Kaitlyn winks

"Right." Jade laughs "You have our numbers, and the number for the resort is on the emergency list I left on the kitchen island. Priya is going to be here around noon on Monday but I'm sure if you need to get out of here earlier she could-"

"Jade." Kaitlyn grabs her daughter's hand "Everything is under control. Go enjoy your trip."

"Thanks, Mom." Jade hugs her, and Kaitlyn kisses her cheek "Love you."

"Love you too." Kaitlyn tells her "Bye, Beck."

"Bye!" Beck hugs her as well "And thanks again."

"Not a problem." Kaitlyn assures him "Like I said, what are grandmas for?"

"Listen to me, you two." Jade says as she kneels down to be almost eye-level with her daughters "You are to be on your absolute _best_ behavior for both grandmas this week, do you understand?"

"Yes, Mommy."

"Don't let us get a bad report."

"Okay."

"Alright, c'mere." Jade opens her arms to hug them both "I love you. We'll see you next weekend, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy. I love you."

"I love you, Mommy."

"Say bye to your dad."

"Bye munchkins!" Beck smiles, wrapping both girls up in a hug "I love you, we'll see you soon. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Love you."

"Love you too, bye."

Getting from Los Angeles to the Maldives isn't going to be a quick journey for the couple by any means. In fact, it's going to take them almost a full day to get there. From Los Angeles they'll fly to Qatar and from Qatar they'll fly to the main island of the Maldives. Then they'll take a shuttle to the coast to get on a ferry and take the ferry to the smaller island where their resort is. And then they'll do the reverse coming back. It may seem like a lot, but Beck and Jade want to make sure that the trip is as private as possible so they can really be alone just the two of them. And the way that they figure, no paparazzi will want to take two planes, a bus, and then a boat just to take a picture or two of them at the beach when they can very easily catch them at LAX getting on or off the flight.

"Have you ever seen water so blue?" Jade gasps as she looks out the window of their suite

Well really, it's more like a private cabana right on the ocean at the end of its own private dock. It's just a bedroom and a bathroom, and then a beautiful ocean view no matter where you turn.

"Only in movies." Beck tells her as he wraps his arms around her waist from behind "And even then, it's probably just CGI."

"It's so beautiful." Jade grins "Imagine the sunsets."

"We still have a few hours before that happens." Beck smirks, reaching up and undoing the ties that keep the curtains drawn back from the windows "What do you say we get started on that thing that we _really_ came here to do?"

"We came here to _celebrate_." She reminds him with a smirk "That doesn't just mean sex."

"Doesn't not mean sex though." He laughs, hooking his fingers in the loops on her denim shorts and pulling her towards the bed "C'mon, let's pretend we're horny teenagers again for a few days."

"We never stopped being horny teenagers." She grins "We just got a bit better at controlling the urges."

For the majority of the first day they're there, they almost never leave the bedroom. In fact, the only time either of them leaves the bed is when Beck answers the door to collect their meals from room service. They feed each other, which sounded like it was going to be more romantic than it actually ended up being, but then get right back to it. It's been so long since they've been able to be together in this way without having to worry about someone or something interrupting them. They take in every moment that they can, and then fall asleep completely naked in each other's arms.

Eventually they do venture out of their suite though. The resort has plenty of things to offer them, and they try to take full advantage of all of it. They play pool and ping pong and even a few rounds of badminton. They get couples massages at the spa and take sunset cruises on the ocean. Beck even convinces Jade to try scuba diving with him, which she actually ends up enjoying more than she is willing to admit to him. Every night their routine is the same though. Once they're back in their suite for the night, it's absolutely impossible for them to keep their hands off of each other and off the champagne. They probably have more sex that week than they had in the two and a half years that Charlotte has been alive.

"This has been the most amazing ten days..." Beck sighs as they lay in bed together on their last night at the resort "But oh my god, do I miss our girls."

"I know, I miss them too." Jade admits "Who knew being away this long would make us miss them so much?"

It's the longest that both of them have been away from their kids at the same time. Lennon seemed to be doing okay, but Beck's mom had texted and said that Charlotte was starting to miss them a bit more vocally. They had expected that and it was okay, because both Beck and Jade missed their daughters too.

"Imagine if there was one more to miss." Beck chuckles "Imagine how much worse it would be."

"Would it really be so terrible, though?" Jade turns and smiles at him

"What are you saying?" He asks her

"I'm saying...maybe we're ready for that third." She shrugs

"Well, I wish you would have said something sooner." Beck chuckles "We could have been trying all week."

"No we couldn't have." Jade reminds him "I'm still taking my birth control, and if I had stopped taking it I would have gotten my period. Then neither one of us would have had any fun."

"Alright, fair enough." Beck chuckles as he kisses the top of her head "But maybe that's something we can start talking about when we get home?"

"Yeah, maybe." Jade grins "But in the meantime, what do you say to one more go around? Just for fun?"

"Oh, you won't have to ask me twice."

* * *

Beck turns thirty a few months following their first anniversary, and they rent out a club in LA to throw a huge party and celebrate. Lennon and Charlotte stay with Jade's father and step-mother, because the party is in no way appropriate for children. Both Beck and Jade drink way too much alcohol, as do most of their friends. The way Beck sees it, it's his last chance to do something stupid as he leaves his twenties behind him as he enters a new and more mature stage of his life.

"Please." Jade scoffs when he shares his justification with her "We have two kids and we've been married for ten years now. We lost the excuse to do anything stupid a long time ago."

"But at least then if we _did_ do anything stupid, our age would justify it." Beck tells her "Now we're thirty and we're more mature."

"I think that we lost the excuse when we became parents, but it's not something I really want to argue about." Jade sighs "But just a friendly reminder that _you're_ thirty now, I'm still twenty-nine for a few months."

Jade's time to turn thirty does come eventually a few months later though, and when it does she opts for something much less extravagant than her husband did. They invite both sets of her parents and Beck's over for dinner, as well as Cat, Robbie, Tori, Andre, and a few of Jade's other friends that she's made in the industry. Elijah had also been invited, but Cat and Robbie opted to leave him home with his nanny so that they could enjoy a night out together. Lennon and Charlotte are in attendance, but their nanny takes them upstairs as soon as they finish eating so that their parents can enjoy themselves without having to worry.

"I would like to propose a toast..." Beck says, standing up and raising his flute of champagne "...to my amazing wife, Jade. Babe, you will always be my greatest strength, my greatest joy, my greatest adventure, my greatest gift and, most of all, my greatest love. Happy birthday, and may your thirties be the start of the best chapter of your life so far. I love you endlessly."

"Thank you." Jade smiles and offers him a kiss as he sits down next to her again "Now what do you want?"

Everyone at the table laughs at their exchange, knowing how typical it was of the couple. Beck says something nice, and Jade appreciates it but is always just the slightest bit cynical. But it would be clear to anyone at that table that the two of them love each other more than anything else in the world, with the only exception being their children.

Eventually the dinner dies down, and their guests leave. They had the food catered, so the company takes care of the clean-up, and after seeing them out Beck and Jade head upstairs to bed.

"We're both fucking old now, you know." Jade smiles at Beck as she sits down on the bed and kicks her heels off "We might as well just apply for those AARP cards now."

"Oh stop it." Beck chuckles as he unbuttons his shirt "The best years of our life are still ahead of us."

"Yeah, yeah. That's what they keep telling me." Jade sighs "Hey c'mere."

"What?" Beck smirks, walking over to her

She wraps her arms around his neck and lays back, pulling them both onto the bed with him on top of her. They both laugh at the sudden loss of balance and then make brief eye contact for a moment before they start kissing.

"I've been off my birth control for six weeks now." Jade tells him as he reaches around to unzip her dress "You ready to try for that boy?"

"Sure." His face lights up as they break away briefly "What do we have to lose?"

They start trying regularly following Jade's birthday. They're religious about ovulation periods and cycles and honestly pay closer attention than they did when they were teenagers trying to _avoid_ getting pregnant. They don't have any luck the first month, but when the second month rolls around, Jade's period is late.

She doesn't say anything to Beck at first, and takes the test by herself one day when he's on set filming and she's home with Lennon and Charlotte. It comes back positive and she has to resist freaking out about it so that her children don't sense that anything is off. The last thing that Jade wants would be for one of them to tip Beck off the minute he gets home. So, she wraps the test up in a piece of tissue paper and leaves it on his pillow, then continues going about her day and tries her very best not to focus on it. Eventually, Beck comes home and they have dinner together as a family, then play with the girls in the backyard for a bit before giving them their baths and sending them to bed.

"I think there's a bottle of white left over from your birthday still." Beck tells her as they leave Charlotte's room "Want to grab some glasses and sit out by the pool?"

At first Jade is tempted to say yes, but then she remembers that she can't.

"I'd love to, but the girls were a real handful today and I think I just want to go to bed." She lies "Maybe another night?"

"Sure." Beck nods with a smile "Maybe we can watch a movie in bed instead?"

"That sounds nice." Jade tells him, grabbing his hand to lead them to their room "C'mon."

She heads immediately into her closet to change into her pajamas, while Beck strips down to his boxers and throws on an old t-shirt. He's ready before she is, so he goes to turn down the blankets on their bed and notices the package sitting on his pillow. Part of him already knows what it is, but he still can't believe his eyes when he unwraps the test and sees the positive result.

"Jade?" He calls out to her

"Yeah?" She emerges from her closet in a pair of running shorts and an old t-shirt

"You're pregnant?" He grins, holding the test up for her to see

"Oh." She chuckles "Yeah, I am."

"Babe..." He gasps, throwing the test onto the bed and running to wrap her up in a hug "This is so exciting!"

"I know it is." She admits "It took everything in me not to tell you right away."

"Well why didn't you?"

"This is number three, Beck." Jade reminds him "I have to make it interesting for myself somehow."

"Fair enough." He smirks, resting his forehead against her's "We're going to have another baby!"

"Yeah." She smiles before kissing him quickly "We sure are."

* * *

**_I try not to insert author's notes in the middle of stories, but I've been getting a lot of comments and questions in the reviews about where Tori and Andre are. _**

**_They're around, they were at both Beck and Jade's birthday parties in this chapter but I didn't focus too heavily on it because I didn't focus too heavily on the parties, if that makes sense. This is very much a Bade story at its core. Back in chapter 6 I said that Tori and Jade would grow apart as they became older, but always remain friends. I bring details about Cat and Robbie in because even now as adults, Cat and Jade are still very much best friends and that contributes to Jade's character. I had all 30 chapters of this story written before I published it, so at this point it would be hard to go back and rewrite everything to add in an arc for Tori and Andre. From here on out the story is very Bade-centric though and there isn't much Cat and Robbie anyways. But I can tell you that Andre plays a very big role in chapter 29 and that will answer a lot of questions about what he and Tori have been up to in the meantime. _**

**_Sorry if this disappoints anyone, but thank you in advance for understanding. S_**_**tay tuned to see what happens with Bade baby number three! **_


	23. One More

Jade was incredibly fortunate in the fact that her first two pregnancies were relatively easy. Lennon's had been the first that she carried to term so of course the whole journey had been a bit overwhelming for her, but there weren't any major complications until the whole hemorrhage situation at the end. Charlotte's was relatively easy too, although having to chase Lennon didn't make it completely simple, because she knew what to expect. Her third pregnancy however, is proving to be much more challenging.

"I feel like I haven't been able to keep anything down for the past three days." Jade sighs, sitting on the bathroom floor and leaning her head back against the wall "Every time I eat anything, or even smell anything, I throw it all right back up. It's never been this bad before and it's still early on."

She feels terrible. Aside from the fact she hasn't been able to eat, she's sweaty from throwing up and her hair is plastered to her face, and she's exhausted from being on set that day.

"Well, the books do say that each pregnancy is different..." Beck sighs, brushing some of her hair off of her face "But I do think this is something we should bring up at the first appointment tomorrow."

"Agreed."

"Mommy? Are you okay?" Lennon asks

She's standing in the doorway to Beck and Jade's master bathroom, sheepishly hiding half of herself behind the doorframe. Beck had been playing with her and Charlotte when Jade texted him to come to the bathroom and help her, so naturally the five year-old had been curious and followed him.

"Oh, Len. I'm okay..." Jade nods, although her exhausted tone doesn't make her sound all that convincing "I've just got a little tummy bug. Don't be scared, it's alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure."

"Everybody gets sick." Beck tells his daughter "Mommy just isn't feeling too good right now, so we're going to make sure she gets some rest and then I'll make sure that she gets to the doctor tomorrow."

With every pregnancy Beck and Jade are always sure to wait until she reaches the second trimester to tell anyone about the baby, just because of what happened the first time. Lennon and Charlotte wouldn't be able to understand what happened if she were to lose the baby, so they want to make absolutely sure the pregnancy is viable before they tell them too. Of course, this can sometimes put them in sticky situations trying to explain away Jade's symptoms in a way that won't scare the young girls.

"I hope you feel better, Mommy."

"Thanks, Len." Jade smiles a bit "Me too."

"How about you go back and play with your sister for a little bit so I can help Mommy get cleaned up?" Beck suggests "Once she's in bed you guys can come in and say goodnight."

"Alright." Lennon shrugs, running out of the bathroom

"How much do you think she saw?" Jade asks her husband

"Enough to freak her out, unfortunately." Beck sighs, extending a hand to her to help her stand up "Wanna wash your face?"

"Yes please." Jade tells him "And I wanna brush my teeth."

Jade is able to walk over to the sinks on her own, but Beck stays protectively a few steps behind her just in case she needs help. She washes her face off and brushes her teeth, then changes into her pajamas and crawls into bed.

"I'm sorry this is already so rough for you..." Beck apologizes as he covers her up with the blankets "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"I'll be okay." She assures him as he bends down to kiss her forehead "You're here to take care of me."

"You bet your ass I am."

The next morning, Beck and Jade leave Lennon and Charlotte with their nanny so that Jade can go to her first appointment. It's a new doctor, since the doctor who delivered their first two is based in New York, so that's already nerve wracking enough.

"Before we get to the ultrasound, are there any questions that either of you have?" She asks the couple about mid-way through the appointment "Big or small, it doesn't matter. I'm here to help you guys as much as I can."

"What causes morning sickness to get worse?" Jade asks "Because with my first two...it was there but I could still function. Now I can barely hold anything down and its starting to effect me at work and when I'm at home with my family."

"Every pregnancy is different." The doctor explains "Morning sickness is unfortunately very normal but usually something that subsides after the first trimester, so we should take a look to see how far along you are. If you get to be ten, eleven, twelve weeks though and it's still _that_ bad, we might need to look into some different options. Should we take a look on the ultrasound?"

"Yes." Jade says eagerly

She wants to see their baby, they both do. There's no comparison to the feeling that comes over them when they get to see their child on the screen for the first time.

The doctor places the wand on Jade's abdomen and begins moving it around. Eventually the familiar purring sound they're used to hearing fills the room, only this time it's much louder than Lennon or Charlotte's had been the first time.

"Wow." Beck chuckles "This one seems eager."

"It sounds different than the last few times." Jade says "Almost like there's..."

"More than one?" The doctor finishes her thought for her as she turns the screen towards her "Congratulations, you're having twins."

"Twins." Jade exhales, exchanging a nervous, yet amused, look with Beck "Of course we're having twins. That makes sense."

"We'll be okay." Beck assures her, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly "We were going to be outnumbered anyways, what's one more?"

"I feel like you won't be saying that in a few months..." Jade chuckles "We're going to have four kids."

"It'll be an adventure." Beck tells her as he kisses her forehead "One we'll be on together."

* * *

"Does it fit okay?" Jade's stylist asks her as she adjusts her jacket

"Yup." Jade tells her as she examines her outfit in the mirror "Major props to you guys, by the way. You can't even tell I'm pregnant."

"Just a little bit of movie magic." Her stylist smirks "You look great though."

"Thank you." Jade grins

She had already signed on to make the movie she's currently working on before she got pregnant, and the director assured her that she could play the role anyways and wouldn't have to give it up. Her character wears a lot of high-wasited pants, sweaters, or jackets to help disguise her bump, which is growing quicker than her previous pregnancies due to the presence of the second baby. Her schedule is a bit more rigorous than she would have liked, but they've almost finished filming and she hasn't agreed to take any more projects until after the babies are born.

"Jade, they need you on set." An assistant says as he pokes his head into her trailer "Are you ready?"

"Yup." Jade grabs her script off of the table and follows him out the door "I'm right behind you."

They're filming on a studio lot, so there's a golf cart waiting to take her to the right soundstage. On their way, Jade sends a text to Beck to check in on Lennon and Charlotte, who are both taking their before-bed baths, then reads over her script one last time to make sure she knows her lines.

The next scene takes place in a restaurant with Jade and two of the supporting actresses who play her friends. She walks in and takes her seat next to her co-star at the table that has been set up as they wait for the third actress to arrive. Eventually she comes in and sits down too, then the makeup artists to one last touchup on their faces before the director calls action.

"Melissa..." Jade's co-star sighs "Are you sure this is really what you want to do? I mean, the odds are pretty stacked against you winning this case. And do you really want to be known as the lawyer who defended a murderer?"

"I'd only be the lawyer who defended a murderer if he actually did it, and he didn't." Jade says back to her "The man is innocent, and if I don't try to win this case for him...what kind of lawyer does that make me?"

"A smart one?" The third actress says as an actor playing a waiter enters the shot and places their food down in front of them "Thank you."

"Are you not hearing me?" Jade groans "He's innocent! I can't just let him go to jail for _life_...or worse just because the public has already written him off. It would be like...is that garlic?"

"Mel?" One of the other actresses says, raising an eyebrow at her as she tries to stay in character "Are you okay?"

"Excuse me." Jade says, standing up from the table

She runs out of the shot and past the cameras, over to a trash can near the edge of the soundstage.

"Cut!" The director yells

Jade barely makes it to the trash can before she throws up. At this point she's become skilled at holding it in for as long as she can, and also at making sure she keeps her hair and clothes out of the way so she doesn't ruin them.

"I'm fine." She assures the director when she sees her walking towards her "Just give me five minutes to go brush my teeth and I'll take it again."

"Jade..." The director places a hand on her shoulder "This is the third time today. It's the end of a long week, why don't you just go home for tonight? You can come back rested and ready to go on Monday morning."

"I'm fine." Jade says again, smoothing out her jacket "Production isn't going to get set back because of me."

"It won't." The director tells her "These two can film one of the scenes that you're not in tonight, and then we can finish this one on Monday. Look, I've done the whole working-while-pregnant thing before and-"

"So have I." Jade cuts her off "And I was fine. I'm not going to let it be any different this time around."

"We won't get behind, Jade." The woman reassures her with a smile "Go home and see your husband and your kids. Rest up tonight and tomorrow so that you can come back on Monday at one hundred percent. We're going to need you for those big courtroom scenes."

"Fine." Jade sighs, knowing she won't win "I'm sorry about this."

"S'not your fault." The director says "And I'll talk to props about using potent food."

"Thanks." Jade laughs a bit "I'll see you on Monday."

She takes another golf cart back to her trailer and changes out of her wardrobe outfit, back into the clothes she had come to set in that morning. Beck and the girls had dropped her off when she first arrived, but both Lennon and Charlotte will be getting ready for bed and Jade doesn't want to disrupt that, so she calls their driver to come and pick her up.

"You're home a bit early aren't you?" Beck asks her when she arrives home

He's sitting in the living room, reading a book.

"Unfortunately." Jade sighs, slumping down on the couch next to him and resting her head on his shoulder "I threw up again so they sent me home."

"What do you mean again?"

"It may or may not have been my third time today..."

"Jade..." Beck sighs, kissing the top of her head "I'm so sorry."

"S'alright." She tells him "I went home early tonight, tomorrow is Sunday so I'm off...I'll be good to go again on Monday. Hopefully we only have another two or so weeks left."

"Good." Beck nods, rubbing her arm "You need your rest, it'll be good for you to just take it easy after this."

"I might have agreed to do a three episode arc on NCIS in two months." Jade admits

"Jade!" Beck exclaims, sitting up "What happened to taking it easy?"

"I'll be into my second trimester, the morning sickness will have died down, and it's only three episodes." Jade tells him "Plus, the character is pregnant. So it's not like they'll be spending extra time trying to disguise that or anything."

"Don't take anything else." Beck warns her "I'm not trying to be Mr. Big Misogynistic Husband and tell you what to do or anything like that, but this pregnancy has been the most unpredictable of the three. I don't want anything bad to happen to you or the babies because you've stretched yourself too thin."

"I know." Jade assures him, caressing his face with her hand "You're just like this because you care, and I appreciate that."

"How are they doing today?" He asks, resting a hand on her bump

"I think they're okay." Jade shrugs "I haven't been able to feel any movement yet, but I haven't noticed anything that would suggest anything is wrong."

"That's good." Beck smiles

"Do the girls suspect anything?"

"Nah." Beck shakes his head "The only time they really see you is when you're in a sweatshirt or in your pajamas. If they've noticed anything, they haven't brought it up."

"I hope it's a boy and a girl." Jade admits "I mean, ideally two boys would even it out and we'd be set. But they'll be devastated if they don't get a sister."

"No matter what happens, they'll deal with it." Beck tells her "We'll tell them the same thing we told Lennon when you were pregnant with Charlotte. We can't control if it's brothers or sisters or both."

* * *

"Lennon?" Beck calls out as he and Jade walk through the front door and into the foyer "Charlotte? Where are you ladies?"

"Mommy! Daddy!" Charlotte exclaims, appearing at the top of the stairs with a doll in hand "You're home!"

"Hey, Little Miss!" Jade grins as her daughter descends the stairs towards them "Did you have fun with Steph?"

"Yeah." Charlotte grins as Lennon also appears, along with their nanny "But I'm happy you're home."

"They were both angels, as usual." Stephanie tells them

"What do you mean 'as usual'?" Beck laughs "Are we talking about the same kids?"

"Well, you weren't gone that long." Stephanie reminds him

"True." Beck agrees "We'll be home for the rest of the day, you're free to go if you'd like."

"Alright, thanks." Stephanie smiles "Bye girlies."

"Bye!" Lennon and Charlotte both exclaim in unison

"Alright, ladies. Mommy and I have something we want to talk to you about." Beck tells his daughters as he guides them into the living room and towards the couch "It's important."

"Are we in trouble?" Lennon asks

"No." Jade laughs "Not this time."

Beck positions both of his daughters side-by-side on the couch, and then he and Jade each sit next to one of them.

"So, Mommy and I have some important news we want to share with you..."

"I don't want to move again!" Lennon exclaims "I like it here!"

"We're not moving." Jade assures her with a smile as she hugs her daughter "Don't worry."

"Oh, okay."

"What is it then?" Charlotte asks

"Well, in a few months there's going to be some very big changes around here." Jade tells her "Because I have a baby in my tummy."

"Really?" Lennon's face lights up

"Yeah." Jade grins "You guys are going to be big sisters!"

"Charlotte! You get to be a big sister now too!" Lennon tells her sister excitedly

"Yay!" Charlotte claps

"Wait, wait, wait. That's not all." Beck tells them "There's not going to be just one baby...Mommy has two in there."

"TWO?" Lennon exclaims "This is the best day ever!"

"How do they fit?" Charlotte asks, hopping off of the couch and walking over to her mother

"Well, they're really small right now, but you can kind of see them." Jade tells her, lifting up her shirt for the girls to see "See?"

"Oh."

"They'll get bigger though." Beck tells them "Then you'll be able to see them without Mommy moving her shirt."

"Do you know if they're brothers or sisters?" Lennon asks

"Two sisters." Jade tells her, exchanging an amused grin with Beck "That's why Daddy and I had to leave for a bit just now, we went to the doctor to find out."

"There's going to be _a lot_ of girls in this house." Beck adds

"More tea parties!" Charlotte exclaims "And dress up!"

"Uh huh." Beck nods with a smile "Are you guys okay with that?"

"Duh." Lennon nods "But are you?"

"Of course I am." Beck scoffs "I _love _tea parties and dress up."

This makes Jade chuckle a bit. It's true, Beck does love playing tea party and dress up with his girls. He loves having girls. But she was hoping he could have at least one son to hang out with when tea party and dress up start to become a bit mundane.

"Do the babies move?" Lennon asks her mom "I remember Eli moved a lot when he was in Aunt Cap's tummy."

"They do, but not enough for you to feel yet." Jade tells her "But once you are able to feel it, I'll let you know. Okay?"

"Kk!"


	24. Worth It

"I'm exhausted." Jade admits, falling into bed next to Beck "And not the good 'I feel accomplished' kind of exhausted. I actually feel like I could sleep through the rest of this pregnancy and still be tired."

"Well, you have a few things going on." Beck reminds her "Trying to film a guest arc, growing two humans at the same time, raising two other humans on top of that...it's a lot."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Jade groans, slipping under the blankets "You think I'm doing too much."

"I never said that."

"Your face says it every time I complain about being tired."

"I know you can handle it." Beck assures her "Especially because you have, what? Two scenes left to film for NCIS? Then you can just be home and relax as much as you can."

"Tell that to Lennon and Charlotte."

"That's why I said 'as much as you can'." Beck chuckles "I know they'll never let you completely relax."

"Just think, a few months from now and there will be twice as many of them." Jade reminds him

"We knew we were going to be outnumbered." Beck smiles "Once you're outnumbered it doesn't matter by how many."

"That's true, I suppose." Jade admits "I'm going to try and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Of course." Beck tells her as he kisses her goodnight "I love you."

"Love you."

The next few days are even more hectic for Jade, which she didn't think would be possible. Production is pushing to finish her last episode of NCIS by the end of the week, so her schedule is even more jam-packed. Despite being more than half-way through her pregnancy, her terrible morning sickness has barely subsided. And she's tired. No matter how much she sleeps, she's just tired. There's nothing bittersweet about her wrap on NCIS, as much as she enjoyed working there. She's ready to get home to her family and to relax for a bit before their new additions make their arrival.

However, that night she has trouble sleeping. No matter what she does, she feels uncomfortable. She tosses and turns and finally results to getting out of bed to walk around so she doesn't wake her husband. But the sudden absence of her presence does wake Beck up, and he follows her downstairs.

"Everything alright?" He asks her, stumbling tiredly into the kitchen

"I think so." Jade sighs, leaning up against the kitchen island "I don't know. I just feel weird."

"Weird how?"

"Weird like I'm absolutely exhausted, but I can't fall asleep for anything." She explains "It doesn't make any sense."

"Do you think there's something wrong with the babies?"

"No, they're moving around just as much as usual."

"Well maybe that's what it is?"

"Maybe." She shrugs "I'm sorry, the whole point of me coming down here was so that I wouldn't wake you up."

"If you think there's something wrong, I don't mind being woken up." He assures her

"I don't even think there's anything wrong. I just can't get comfortable."

"Come back to bed then." Beck suggests, nodding towards the kitchen doorway "We can put a movie on or something until you...are you okay?"

Jade is wincing now, pushing against the island as she looks down at her feet.

"Jade?"

"I'm alright." She nods as she stands upright again "I think I'm having Braxton Hicks."

"We should go to the hospital then!" Beck exclaims "C'mon!"

"They're not real contractions, idiot." Jade reminds them "They're just practice for the real thing. They don't hurt the babies, they don't hurt me, they're just uncomfortable."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Yes, I'm _sure_." Jade mimics his tone "I'm not far enough along for them to be real. Let's just go back to bed and put a movie on or something like you said. I'll fall asleep eventually."

And she does fall asleep eventually, although it's close to four in the morning before she does. Beck gets up early the next morning to intercept Lennon and Charlotte before they can wake Jade up, knowing how badly his wife needs her sleep right now.

"The babies are just making her a little extra tired today." Beck explains to them "That's all."

Their house is big enough that they could play inside somewhere without waking Jade up, but Beck opts to take the girls in the backyard for the time being. They switch back and forth between swimming in the pool and jumping on the trampoline, and he tries to take in every moment that he can with just the two of them. Before long there will be twice as many little girls in his life, and he doesn't ever want any of them to think that he loves one or two of them more than the others.

By lunch time, the two little girls have exhausted themselves and are growing cranky. Beck feeds them and helps them clean up enough to nap, then puts them both to bed so that they're hopefully in decent moods by the afternoon. After leaving Charlotte's bedroom, Beck ventures across the top floor of the house to his and Jade's own to check on his wife.

She's awake and lying in the fetal position in the middle of the bed, an uncomfortable look on her face.

"Jade?" He says quietly

"I think we should go to the hospital." She tells him through gritted teeth "These are hurting like they're real."

"Alright." He tells her calmly, although he's panicking on the inside "Let me call Stephanie to come and watch the girls while-"

"This is her week off, remember?" She reminds him "Call your mom."

"Alright." He nods, reaching into his pocket for his phone "I'll call my mom."

"Beck." Jade reaches out and grabs his hand, a terrified look on her face "I'm scared. I can't lose another baby."

"Everything is going to be fine." He assures her as he dials his mom's number, trying to hide the fact that he's scared too

Priya is at the house within twenty minutes and Beck and Jade are out the door not long after. They're both terrified, although neither one of them would ever want the other to know. Jade is barely thirty weeks at this point, and it's for sure too early for their babies to be born healthy.

"You're dilating, so the contractions you're feeling are real." The emergency room doctor tells her "This is too early, even for multiples. We're going to admit you and see if some terbutaline will do the trick, and we'll get your regular physician here so she can take a look as well. Alright?"

"Whatever needs to be done." Beck tells him "We just want to make sure everyone is alright."

Jade is admitted to obstetrics and hooked up to an IV of terbutaline to hopefully stop her contractions. The hospital contacts her regular doctor, who makes her way over from her office as soon as she can.

"Let's take a look at these two and make sure everything is alright." She says as she pulls the ultrasound machine over to Jade's bed and turns it on "You said these contractions started last night?"

"More so early this morning, but yeah." Jade nods "I just thought they were Braxton Hicks."

"That's a fair assumption to make, given how far along you are." The doctor nods as she places the wand on Jade's stomach "You've been working, haven't you?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"I think she's overworked herself this time around." Beck cuts in "With her morning sickness being as bad as it is, she hasn't been able to-"

"That's still a problem?" The doctor asks

"Unfortunately."

"How often would you say it's bothering you?"

"On a regular day?" Jade sighs, looking to Beck "Two or three times. More than that on a bad day."

"Well, that could be part of the problem here..." The doctor sighs "I'm going to put you on some extra vitamins in addition to your prenatal ones. We'll start with a B6 and see if that helps, and an occasional glass of Pedialyte might not be the worst idea in the world either. The vomiting is depleting you of a significant amount of nutrients and whatever you have left is going straight to the babies...who seem to be doing well, by the way."

She turns the screen so that Beck and Jade can see the image of their twin girls, who are so close together they look like they could be cuddling with one another.

"They're okay?" Jade clarifies "Both of them?"

"Yup." The doctor smiles "They're both still head up, which is a good thing for now. Two strong heartbeats as well."

"Thank god." Beck lets out a sigh of relief "We're excited to meet them, but not quite yet."

"I know you're not going to love this Jade, but I'm prescribing you bedrest." The doctor tells her "You need to take it easy for the next few weeks, you overworked yourself. You can get up and move around to eat meals, go to the bathroom, and shower, but otherwise I want you in bed."

"But-"

"No buts, Jade." Beck cuts her off "The doctor is saying this is what's best for you _and_ the babies, so you're going to listen."

"What about the short film you're doing next month?" She asks him "Who will take care of Lennon and Charlotte?"

"Stephanie will." He reminds her "That's what we pay her for."

"Full term with twins is only thirty-seven weeks." The doctor informs them "If you can make it to thirty five or thirty six, we should still be okay."

"See?" Beck rubs his wife's shoulder "It won't be for that long. But we have to do what's best for the babies."

"Right." Jade nods "This is what's best for them."

* * *

At first, Jade doesn't mind the bed rest. It gives her an excuse to stay in bed and catch up on her sleep, and just relax in general. After about a week though, she starts to grow bored of it. Sometimes Stephanie will bring Lennon and Charlotte in to color with her or watch a movie, but for the most part she's on her own in her bedroom either reading or watching movies. Her mom and step-mom both visit, as does Tori once or twice, and Cat frequently brings Eli over to play with Lennon and Charlotte so that she has an excuse to keep Jade company while Stephanie keeps an eye on all three of the kids, but it all still starts to become rather mundane to Jade. Her nausea and morning sickness have improved some but not completely, and now the extra weight on the front of her body is starting to cause her pain in her lower back. She's absolutely miserable but when she remembers who she's doing it for, things seem a little better.

"Charlotte is in bed." Stephanie says quietly as she peeks into Beck and Jade's bedroom "Do you want me to..."

"No." Jade shakes her head as she rubs Lennon's back gently "She's fine with me for now."

"Alright." The nanny nods "Do you need me to get you anything?"

"I'm okay." Jade assures her with a small smile "Beck is going to be home soon, I'll be able to manage. You're free to go, if you'd like."

"Alright, thanks." Stephanie smiles "I'll see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning."

After giving both girls their bath, Stephanie had begun getting Charlotte ready for bed first. At that point, Lennon wandered into her parents' room and climbed into bed with Jade, and Jade was more than content to let her lay there with her and cuddle. She feels guilty for not being around and as present for her two oldest children as she could be. There's nothing she wants more than to be up and running around and playing with them everyday, but its just not possible.

"Mama?" Lennon says quietly

"Yeah, Bubs?"

"Can I sleep here with you tonight?"

"Not the whole night." Jade tells her "But I'll let you stay until Daddy gets home. Okay?"

"Okay..." Lennon sighs

"You okay?" Jade asks her "You seem all bummed out."

"I just want the babies to be born already so that you don't have to be in bed all the time."

"I know, baby..." Jade frowns as she kisses the top of her daughter's head "I want that too. But I have to stay in bed so that the babies don't come out before they're ready to. If they're born too soon, they could get really sick."

"I don't want them to be sick."

"Me either, that's why I have to stay in bed."

"How much longer until they're here?"

"You'll be out of school for the summer." Jade tells her "Or at least that's the hope."

"That's a long time still."

"Not really." Jade shrugs "Just a few more weeks."

"Well, it feels like forever." Lennon pouts

"I know, I'm sorry." Jade nods "But hey, you know what?"

"What?"

"You're going to be such a special helper when they _do_ finally get here."

"Really?" Lennon's face lights up

"Duh." Jade scoffs "You and Charlotte both. There's going to be twice as many babies so your dad and I are going to need twice the help. Plus, Charlotte is going to be new to the whole 'big sister' thing, so you're going to have to teach her everything you know."

"I can teach her." Lennon smiles "I'm a good big sister."

"You're a _great_ one." Jade assures her as she hugs her daughter tightly

Beck comes home a few hours later and finds Jade asleep in the middle of their bed. He's confused for a moment until he looks closer and sees that Lennon is fast asleep on Jade's side, and the sight brings a smile to his face. The two of them fell asleep as close to each other as they could without Jade's belly getting in the way, and they're facing each other. Jade has an arm draped across Lennon protectively, and they both look so peaceful.

Beck sets his bag and his jacket down in the arm chair next to the door and tiptoes quietly across the room. He lifts the blankets off of Lennon and gently picks up Jade's arm to move it so he can scoop their daughter up in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Jade gasps quietly as she wakes up "Oh, hey."

"Hey." He smiles "I was just going to put her in her own room. Is that okay?"

"That's fine." She yawns "I told her she could only stay until you got home anyways."

"I'll be right back." He tells her as he picks Lennon up

The little girl barely stirs as he carries her out of their bedroom and back to her own. He lays her down in bed gently and covers her up, kissing her forehead before leaving to go back to Jade.

She's moved back to her side of the bed now, and appears to be sleeping again when Beck returns. It's late, so Beck decides to just get ready for bed and crawl in next to her. As he settles in, Jade reaches over and grabs his arm, pulling it around her waist.

"I thought you had fallen back to sleep." He admits as he cuddles closer to her

"No, not yet." She tells him "I was waiting for you."

"Oh." He smiles "Well, I'm here now."

"Good." Jade yawns "I was getting lonely."

"How are you three doing today?"

"They're fine, but I've been better."

"Kicking the hell out of your ribs?"

"Yeah." Jade nods "And my back hurts."

"I'm sorry." Beck sighs, rubbing her arm before replacing his own around her waist

"S'not your fault." Jade mumbles into her pillow

"Well it's half my fault."

"Yeah okay, true I guess."

"I wish there was something I could do to make it better."

"Just lay here with me." Jade tells him "I already feel a little bit better."

* * *

"Fuck, Jade...I'm so sorry." Beck apologizes as he rubs her back

"Stop apologizing, it's annoying the hell out of me." Jade snaps at him "Just get rid of the bucket."

"Alright, alright..." Beck says as he hands the bucket off to the nurse "Do you want some ice chips?"

"Yes, please."

Jade had finally gone into labor in the middle of the night in the middle of her thirty-eighth week, which was considered to be 'late' for twins. She's progressing relatively quickly compared to how she had with Lennon and Charlotte, but her contractions are intense and making her vomit frequently.

"If you keep up this rate, we'll have both of those babies here by dinnertime." A nurse smiles at her "Keep up the good work."

"Thank you." Jade sighs, leaning back against her pillows "Beck?"

"Hm?"

"Hold my hand, please."

"Of course." He nods, taking her hand in his and squeezing it tightly "I'm right here."

"Thank you." She smiles at him a bit "I just want this to be over."

"It will be soon." He assures her "Then we'll have four perfect little girls."

"I'm sorry." Jade laughs

"Why?"

"I know you wanted a boy."

"S'alright. I love being a dad of girls." Beck smirks "Besides, I'm starting to think that having boys just isn't in our blood."

"I think it was, but it's not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"That first baby, the one before Lennon that we lost..." Jade sighs "I think that was our boy."

"Well, then it wasn't meant to be, right?"

"Yeah, I guess not." Jade nods "Beck?"

"Hm?"

"I know you've always talked about wanting five or six...but I think these two have to be the last." Jade admits "This pregnancy has been...I just don't know if I can do it again."

"That's perfectly okay." Beck smiles at her reassuringly "You've been so amazing this whole time. You're my super hero."

"Thanks." Jade smiles briefly before her expression sours "Do you think you could get that bucket back for me?"

Within a few hours, Jade is ready to push. She's not thrilled about having to go through labor twice, but knows doing it naturally is going to make for a significantly easier recovery than a c-section would. Beck is right by her side, just like he was when Lennon and Charlotte were born. He holds her hand and kisses the top of her head, offering her words of encouragement as she brings their third child into the world.

"One more big push!" The doctor tells her "I've got a head!"

"You can do it, Jade!" Beck tells her "The first one is almost here!"

Jade groans as she puts everything she has into one last push, and then suddenly a baby is crying.

"Hey, we've got one!" Beck grins as a nurse places the screaming baby on Jade's chest "Hey, baby girl."

"Oh, hi." Jade gasps "Hey, kiddo. Happy Birthday."

"She's looking right at you, Jade." Beck tells her

"Yeah, I know." Jade smiles "Hey, Hazel. That's your name. Hazel."

"Hazel Monroe Oliver." Beck nods, kissing his wife's forehead "We're so happy to finally meet you."

"Alright, this little one needs to be cleaned up." A nurse tells them as she picks Hazel up "And you need to get her sister out."

"Right." Jade nods

"We've got another contraction coming." The doctor tells Jade as she looks at the monitor "Go ahead and push when you feel it."

It takes Jade a bit longer to get the second baby out. She's more tired this time and losing energy fast. Within twenty minutes though, there's another crying little girl on her chest and the world feels complete.

"You did it, babe." Beck grins, resting his forehead against her significantly more sweaty one "They're both here."

"Thank god." Jade admits, laughing "They're both so worth it, but that was rough."

"It's all okay now." He assures her "It's all okay."

After both babies are cleaned up, taken for tests, and given clean bills of health, the doctors and nurses leave Beck and Jade alone to spend time with the newest members of their family.

"They're both so tiny..." Jade smiles "I forgot how small they are at first."

"Yeah, we're staring all over again." Beck chuckles

They're sitting side by side in Jade's bed, each holding a baby. They're less than two hours old and look almost identical, the only thing really telling them apart being their different colored hospital bands and their hats that have an 'A' or a 'B' on them.

"This one is Hazel, right?" Beck clarifies as he rocks Baby A in his arms "We said the first one would be Hazel?"

"Right." Jade nods "And this one is Sutton."

"Hazel Monroe Oliver, meet your sister...Sutton Grace Oliver." Beck grins as he introduces the babies to one another "I know you two probably know each other quite well at this point, but me and Mommy and your sisters are looking forward to getting to know you ourselves."

"Can you believe we have four girls?" Jade smiles at her husband "Because I can't."

"I can." Beck laughs "I'm already thinking about how expensive their weddings are going to be."

"Oh, let's worry about getting them home first before we worry about weddings." Jade nudges him

"You were right though, four is enough." Beck admits "They...they make the family feel complete. Beck, Jade, Lennon, Charlotte, Hazel, and Sutton."

"The Oliver's." Jade grins

"The Oliver's." Beck agrees with a wink "I love you so much. And I love our family."

"I love you too." Jade leans over and kisses him "I can't wait to bring them home."


	25. Fracture

"How are we supposed to tell them apart?" Charlotte sighs "They look the same!"

"They do a bit, don't they?" Jade chuckles "Sutton's hair is a little bit darker than Hazel's though, and their noses are shaped a little differently."

"How can you tell?"

"I just can." Jade shrugs "I'm your mom, I'd be able to tell the difference between any of you anywhere."

Charlotte and Lennon are absolutely obsessed with their new baby sisters, and Beck and Jade are enjoying it while they still can because they know eventually the obsession will turn into jealousy. But for right now, they always want to help and they always want to hold. When one of them cries, they're at their parents' side, ready to assist with whatever they're asked to.

The family of four is currently sitting on Beck and Jade's bed. Charlotte is in Jade's lap holding Hazel, and Lennon is in Beck's lap holding Sutton. The twins are three weeks old now and starting to look a bit less identical, but their older sisters still have a hard time telling them apart. Well, even Beck still has a hard time telling them apart. The only person who seems to be one hundred percent confidant in identifying them correctly one hundred percent of the time is Jade. But that's her mother's intuition and she knows that the others will pick it up with time.

"We'll keep dressing them in different colors until it's easier to tell them apart." Beck assures Charlotte "Don't worry."

"Okay."

"Alright, Dad. What do you think?" Jade sighs "Bedtime for Lennon and Charlotte?"

"I think it might be, yeah." Beck agrees "They're already up late as it is."

"Nooooo!" Lennon and Charlotte groan

"Just five more minutes with the babies?" Lennon begs "Please?"

"They're going to be here when you wake up tomorrow." Jade reminds her "And every day for the rest of your life. You'll get plenty of time with them, don't worry."

Both Beck and Jade each take the babies carefully from their daughters so that they can stand up and move off of the bed. Just as Beck is getting ready to stand up himself, his phone starts ringing on the bedside table.

"It's Mona." He says to Jade "I should take it. She wouldn't call this late if it wasn't important."

"Go ahead." Jade tells him "We'll wait for you."

"Alright." Beck nods as he stands up to leave the room, taking Sutton with him "Hey Mona."

"It's your lucky day." Jade says to Lennon and Charlotte "I think Aunt Mona just bought you guys at least an extra ten minutes of baby time."

"Just one baby though..." Lennon sighs

"Hey." Jade laughs as she rocks Hazel gently "One baby is better than no babies."

"Yeah, I guess."

Hazel is half awake and barely able to focus on anything, but her sisters still make funny faces at her and fawn over her as if she were completely awake and alert. Eventually, Beck re-enters the bedroom and puts his phone back on the bedside table.

"Everything okay?" Jade asks him

"We'll talk later." Beck tells her "But yeah. Come on ladies, bedtime."

They have to start the whole convincing process over again, reminding the two older girls that their twin sisters will still be there in the morning when they wake up and that they have all of the time in the world to spend with them. It's a team effort getting them to bed, Beck and Jade each take a baby with them and Beck helps Lennon get settled while Jade helps Charlotte. They say goodnight, and then switch rooms to say goodnight to the other. It's another half hour before they're finally able to get back to their own bedroom.

"So what did Mona want?" Jade asks her husband as she closes the door behind them "Does she have a project for you?"

"Something like that, yeah." He tells her as he sits down on the edge of the bed

"What is that supposed to mean?" She raises an eyebrow at him as she sits down next to him

"Um, well. Long story short. Another actor had a family emergency and had to pull out of this movie, and the director personally called Mona and asked for me as a replacement." Beck explains

"Who's the director?"

"Oh, just this guy." Beck shrugs "You probably haven't heard of him...Quentin Tarantino?"

"Quentin Tarantino?" Jade gasps, and has to stop herself from practically screaming "Beck? That's incredible! Oh my god! You have to take the part. You just have to."

"Okay but there's a catch..." Beck sighs

"There always is." Jade shrugs "We can handle it, what is it?"

"I would need to be in Madrid in like...two weeks." He informs her "For a few months."

"Alright, and?" Jade waits for him to say something worse "That's not that big of a deal. You've gone and shot on location before and everything was fine."

"That was when we had two kids." Beck reminds her "Now we have twice as many and half of them are less than a month old."

"Well, this is the life we signed up for, isn't it?" Jade assures him "I have both of our moms, and my step-mom, and Stephanie, and Cat, and Tori...Beck there will be so many people around who can help out if I need them to. I refuse to let you not take this part because you're worried about the kids being too much for me."

"Well, it's not just that." Beck admits "I don't want to miss them growing up. They can't even hold their heads up right now and when I get back they'll probably be able to sit up on their own."

"Well, yeah. But not much else." Jade reminds him "All babies really do for the first few months is poop and cry and eat and sleep anyways. It's when they're a few months old that they start to develop personalities and the real fun begins."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Alright, remove the kids from the equation. Hypothetically." Jade tells him, repositioning herself so she's facing him instead of just next to him "Would you take the part then?"

"Of course." Beck admits "It's Quentin Tarantino. His movies are phenomenal and almost guaranteed to make Oscar buzz."

"So do it then." Jade urges him "It's a great career move. He asked for you _personally._ That's a huge fucking deal."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure." Jade smiles "I promised to encourage you to follow your dreams, remember? I can't just go back on my vows now."

"Alright. I'll go call Mona." Beck smirks, leaning forward to kiss her "I love you. Thank you for always supporting me."

"Likewise, Oliver."

* * *

"Mommy! Mommy!" Charlotte exclaims as she practically climbs on top of Jade "Come play with us!"

"Charlotte Nicole!" Jade scolds her in a harsh voice "What have I said about jumping all over me when I'm holding a baby?"

"To not to..." Charlotte says quietly

Jade had been sitting on the couch in the living room, trying to feed Sutton when Charlotte had run in excitedly. It was usually how it went most days with Beck being gone. If one of the babies need her, Lennon or Charlotte want her. If Lennon or Charlotte need her, at least one of the babies is crying. It's inevitable.

"I'm sorry!" Stephanie apologizes as she rushes in after Charlotte "I told them to stay in the playroom but-"

"It's fine." Jade sighs "I'll come in with you guys as soon as I get these two down."

"Alright, sorry again." Stephanie nods, ushering Charlotte back to the playroom before "We've talked about this before, Charlotte. When Mommy has the blanket over her shoulder like that, it means she's feeding a baby and she needs her personal space."

Jade leans her head against the back of the couch and lets out a deep sigh. She loves all four of her daughters more than she imagined she could ever love anything ever, even Beck, and she wouldn't trade them for anything...but basically being a single parent to four kids under the age of six is a lot. Beck does what he can from the other side of the world. He calls almost every night before bedtime to talk to Lennon and Charlotte about their days, to talk to the babies even though they can't talk back yet, and to say goodnight. He texts Jade regularly and calls her to talk when he can. But all of that can't supplement his actually being there.

She's gotten quite good at carrying both of the twins at the same time, so Jade positions one in each arm and carries them upstairs to the nursery to put them down for their afternoon nap. Hazel and Sutton are three and a half months old now, and still look almost identical. However, Jade is noticing that Sutton's eyes are shaped and colored a bit more like her's, while Hazel's look more like Beck's do. She's thankful for any indicator, even a small one, that could help someone tell them apart. Sure, she knows which is which, she's their mom. But the others who sometimes help out, Stephanie and all three grandmothers, are still having a hard time.

"There we go..." She coos as she lays them down in their crib, which they're still sharing for the time being "Nice and comfy, nice and quiet. Feel free to sleep for a few hours, okay? Your sisters are going to try and steal me away the moment that they see me."

Jade places a kiss on each of the sleeping infants' foreheads and creeps quietly out of the room, then makes her way downstairs to the playroom to find Lennon and Charlotte. Both of them have recently retired from napping, much to Jade's dismay, and are awake all day for the most part. As inconvenient as it can be at times to have them climbing all over her when she's trying to care for one of the babies, Jade is thankful for the time that she gets to spend with her older two on their own without having to worry about one of the twins needing her.

"Hi Mom!" Lennon's eyes light up when she enters the playroom "We're playing restaurant! Do you want to order anything?"

"Sure, I'd love to!" Jade tells her as she sits down at the play table next to Stephanie "Do you guys know how to make mac and cheese?"

They play restaurant until Lennon and Charlotte grow bored of it and then switch to a game of Monopoly Junior. Jade has to bow out when the baby monitor starts making noise, signaling that Hazel and Sutton are awake and need her attention. At first the older two girls are sad to see their mother go, but their attention is quickly redirected when she brings their twin sisters down to the living room for them to interact with. Lennon sits between them on their blanket and tells them stories that she makes up herself, and Charlotte takes 'pictures' of them with her pretend camera. Stephanie helps Jade feed Lennon and Charlotte dinner so that she can feed the twins again, and then gives them baths and gets them ready for bed. Once they're sure that the older girls are down for the night Jade sends Stephanie home, assuring her that she can handle the twins on her own. As she opens the front door to make sure the nanny has gotten to her car safely, she's surprised to see Cat Valentine walking up the front steps.

"Oh hey." Jade smiles "I didn't know you were stopping by tonight."

"You're smiling..." Cat sighs "That means you don't know."

"I'm sorry?"

"Have you been online at all today?"

"No?" Jade raises an eyebrow at her "I'm almost never online these days. I'm busy raising four little versions of myself."

"So...you don't know about the pictures...?"

"What pictures, Cat?"

Cat looks around her nervously, checking for paparazzi, before urging Jade back into the house and closing the door behind her.

"Cat, what the fuck is going on?"

"Just..." Cat sighs, opening her phone and turning the screen towards Jade "Don't shoot the messenger, okay?"

It takes a moment for Jade to realize what she's looking at, but as soon as she does her heart sinks into her stomach. It's a picture of Beck out at a nightclub in Madrid, kissing another girl who isn't her. Part of her wants to think that it's a bad picture, that the man just happens to look a lot like him but isn't. But it's a clear shot, and she'd recognize the tattoo on his arm anywhere.

"Please tell me that's photoshopped." Jade begs as tears fill her eyes "Please tell me he didn't..."

"It's alright." Cat tells her as she wraps her up in a hug "Jadey, I'm here for you. Don't worry."

Cat ends up spending the night that night, staying up with Jade and trying to comfort her while she cries until she finally falls asleep just before the sun comes up. Cat talks to Stephanie when she first arrives in the morning, and advises her to call Kaitlyn or Angie for back up, and to let Jade sulk in her room for the day. Both Angie and John end up coming to help Stephanie with the kids, and Kaitlyn comes to help Cat with Jade.

Jade is absolutely devastated. Actually, she's whatever comes after devastated...she feels like she could just curl up and die. She's dedicated over half of her life to this man, fallen in love with him, married him, had four of his children...and he completely disregards that and goes and makes out with some random girl in a nightclub halfway across the world. All while she's at home taking care of _his_ children. It seems like all she's done since Cat broke the news is cry...she didn't know it was possible to cry this much. She didn't know it was possible to feel this heartbroken.

"It's my fault..." Jade sobs "I forced him to take that part. I should have told him to stay here, then he never would have been in that situation at all."

"You can't control what he does..." Kaitlyn reminds her as she hugs her tightly "He's a big boy, he knew what he was doing."

Beck makes multiple attempts to contact Jade throughout the day, but she ignores them all. She needs her space from him right now, and she's afraid if they speak she'll end up saying something she regrets. Eventually she switches her phone over to Do Not Disturb so he gets sent straight to voicemail every time he calls. He leaves her eleven voicemails, and then he starts calling Cat.

"What do you want me to do?" Cat asks "Should I tell him to back off?"

"Do what you want." Jade shakes her head "I don't fucking care."

Cat opts not to answer Beck's call, but instead texts him and explains that Jade is upset and needs her space from him right now. After about ten minutes, Beck texts her back.

"He says he understands, but that he wants you to know he would never ever intentionally do anything to hurt you." Cat reads Jade the text "It says 'tell her that I love her more than anything else, and that I can explain the whole thing if she gives me the chance'..."

"I'll give him the chance." Jade sighs "Just not right now. I'm too devastated."

* * *

Three days later as Jade is feeding Hazel in the nursery, she hears commotion downstairs.

"Daddy!" Charlotte exclaims

"Oh fuck no..." Jade whispers to herself as she stands up from the rocking chair "He didn't."

She quickly places Hazel down in the crib next to Sutton, then grabs the baby monitor off of the changing table and makes her way downstairs. Lennon and Charlotte are climbing all over Beck as he stands in the foyer, huge grins plastered across all three of their faces. At first she thinks it's sweet, seeing how happy they are to see each other, but then she remembers how pissed she is at him and clears her throat to make her presence known.

"Hey." Beck smiles when he sees her

"Hi." She says flatly "Stephanie? Would you mind taking the girls out to the backyard to play?"

"Of course." Stephanie nods, taking the baby monitor from Jade "Come on, ladies."

"But Dad just got home!" Lennon whines

"Backyard. Now." Jade says with a harsh tone

"Alright..."

"You didn't have to send them away..." Beck sighs when the kids are out of earshot

"Yes I did."

"Why?"

"Because I have no idea how this conversation is about to go." She admits "What the fuck are you doing here anyways? You're not supposed to be back for another month."

"I came back because I knew it would be the only way you would talk to me." He tells her "So c'mon, let me have it."

"You don't even want to try to defend yourself?"

"I know this will go _way_ better if I let you yell at me first."

As much as Jade hates to admit it, she knows he's right.

"Alright, fine." She sighs "Do you have any idea what you've put me through this week? How heartbroken and embarrassed I am? I'm here still working through all of my postpartum hormones _and_ trying to take care of _our_ four children _by myself_ and all of a sudden there's pictures all over the internet of you kissing this other girl like I don't even exist. Do you have _any_ idea how _terrible_ that makes me feel? How _embarrassed_ I am?"

Beck says nothing, a defeated expression on his face as he looks at her. For the first time since she met him, Jade feels like she can't read him. Is he sad? Is he angry? Is he annoyed? She doesn't know.

"You can fucking talk now."

"What I did was stupid and inconsiderate, and there hasn't been a moment that has passed since where I wish that I could go back and stop myself from kissing that girl." Beck admits with tears forming in the corners of his eyes "We had the night off from filming so I went out to a club with my co-stars and I got drunk. A lot drunker than I've been for a long time. And that girl started talking to me and well...she looked like you. And I was missing you so fucking bad that I just kissed her because I thought she _was_ you. But she didn't kiss like you, and as soon as I realized that the woman I was kissing wasn't my wife...I pushed her off of me and I went right back to the hotel."

"Do you really expect me to buy that load of bullshit?"

"Yes!" Beck exclaims "Because it's the fucking truth! You can ask any of my co-stars who were there with me! Call the club, get the security footage! Jade, I know how much you must hate me right now, but-"

"I hate that even though I'm so fucking pissed at you and I want to hate you, I fucking can't!" Jade yells at him "I love you that fucking much! This was a bad idea, I shouldn't have even let you in here."

"I love you too, Jade!" He tells her, grabbing her hand before she can turn to go back upstairs "That's why I flew back here!"

"You flew back here because I was ignoring you." She reminds him as she pulls her hand away

"Right, and the woman that I love ignoring me because of something I did to hurt her made me feel like I wanted to die." He admits, sinking to his knees "Please, Jade. I'm sorry."

"Get up, you look pathetic."

"No." He shakes his head "I'm going to stay right here on my knees and beg for your forgiveness if that's what it takes."

"That is not what it's going to take." Jade rolls her eyes, grabbing his shirt and pulling him to his feet "Stand up."

"I love you, Jade." Beck says seriously, taking her hands "I would never intentionally hurt you and I would _never_ lie to you about it. I was drunk and stupid and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make this up to you."

"Swear on your daughters' lives that the story that you're telling me is true."

Beck didn't think his heart could feel any heavier than it did when he first arrived, but the look in his wife's eyes tells him that he was wrong. Her eyes have always been one of his favorite things about her, he often tells her that they're so blue they make the ocean and the sky look grey. They're still the same eyes that pierced through his soul on the day that they first met, but now he sees more pain in them than he ever has. The sky in her eyes is full of storm clouds now, and that's his fault. He can't stand that it's his fault.

"I swear on their lives." He promises her, his voice catching "On their's, on mine, on my mother's...Jade, please...I love you."

"Why did it take you three days?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you come back here the moment you knew that I knew?"

"I knew you'd want your space."

"What about the movie?"

"What about it?"

"How'd you get out of filming?"

"I had to beg on my hands and knees, but I'm here. I have to go back tomorrow...but I'm here."

"Can I trust you to go back?"

"You can." He assures her "I would understand why you wouldn't...but I swear that you can. Please, Jade. I'm begging you. I'll get back on my knees if I have to."

"Beck, I-"

He cuts her off and takes her face in his hands, kissing her with more emotion than he probably ever has before. She's his wife. She's his everything. He can't lose her, he just can't.

"Would I kiss you like that if I wasn't being serious?" He asks her "Could I fake that?"

"I dunno...could you?"

"No." He shakes his head "No, that's real."

There's silence between them for a moment, and then Beck speaks again.

"I made a vow to love you every minute, of every day, for the rest of our lives." He reminds her "I haven't forgotten that. There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about that. I made a mistake, Jade. A stupid, irreversible mistake. But I love you, and I love our family, more than any movie. If you want me to quit and stay here, I will."

"You can't do that, it's going to ruin your career."

"It's a price I'd be willing to pay to make this up to you."

"I don't want to be responsible for that..." Jade shakes her head "I can't be responsible for that. You have to go back and finish the movie."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am." She nods "But I swear to god, Beck Oliver...if you _ever_ pull shit like this again...that's it. There is no third chance."

"I won't need one." He promises her as he moves closer to her "Jade, I swear-"

"Just shut up and kiss me again."

"Alright."

And he does. They make out in the foyer for a few minutes, and almost consider moving upstairs to the bedroom before they remember that Lennon and Charlotte are still outside with Stephanie.

"I do love you." Jade tells him quietly "I never stopped loving you, even when I was angry at you."

"I know." Beck nods "I love you too. And I promise to never do anything to make you doubt that ever again."


	26. Moving On

Beck leaves to go back to Madrid the following day, just like he said he would. He returns a month later as soon as he's completed his obligations for the film. He doesn't stay for the wrap party, and he doesn't spend the weekend in Ibiza like some of his other co-stars choose to. He goes right back home to his wife and daughters.

There's still some hesitation and trust issues from Jade, which Beck understands completely. He knows that what he did, while accidental, could have potentially been detrimental to their relationship. So he takes every opportunity that he can to remind his wife how much he loves her, how much she means to him, and how thankful he is to be married to her and have her in his life.

Jade can't help but be cynical at times, and there's instances where she wonders if he really means what he's saying to her or if he's only telling her what she wants to hear. But then she reverses the situation and wonders what she would be saying to him if it had been her to do something stupid instead of him. Even though she would never be stupid enough to do what he had done, she would be saying the same things to him. And she would mean them. Beck returns home when Hazel and Sutton are five months old, and by the time they're six months he and Jade are in a better place than they've ever been.

Jade finds life to be so much easier now that Beck is home with them again. Not only is he an extra set of hands to help when the kids get crazy, but he always knows exactly what to say to her when _she_ starts feeling a little crazy. He's always been able to do that, to bring her back to Earth when she starts floating away. No one else has been able to understand her the way that her husband does, not even her parents or her best friends. It's like he's become an irremovable part of her, and she's thankful that they were able to resolve any issues that they had before it got to the point where she might have to experience what it was like to have that part ripped out of her.

Lennon starts kindergarten in the fall, and goes to school all day. Charlotte also starts pre-school in the mornings for half the day. It's an emotional time for Jade, and Beck as well but mostly Jade. Her postpartum hormones can still sometimes be out of whack, she's had a rollercoaster of emotions over the past few months or so, and now her babies are growing up and starting to venture away from her just a little bit.

"First it's kindergarten and then what?" Jade tears up a bit as they drive home from dropping their daughters off "College? Moving out? Getting married?"

"Jade..." Beck chuckles, reaching across the center console to grab her hand and squeeze it tightly "She's not even six years old yet. We have _years_ before we have to worry about any of that."

"Well, it feels like she was just born yesterday." Jade sighs "Look at how quickly five and a half years went by. Imagine how much quicker the next decade will go."

"We're just going to have to enjoy every minute of it while we still can then." Beck shrugs "We knew they'd grow up, that's how it works."

"I know..." Jade says, turning around to look at Sutton and Hazel in the backseat "I just didn't think it would happen so quickly."

Neither of them take any jobs for the rest of the year. They want to be present and home to focus on their family and to focus on each other. It's nice, and almost feels normal if it's possible. This is what their lives would be like without the industry or the awards or the screaming fans. Then again, it's not entirely normal either. They still get recognized almost every time they go anywhere in public, Mona still calls from time to time to keep them updated on things, and they're living in a multi-million dollar home in a private gated-community along with lots of other people who also live in multi-million dollar homes. It's...abnormally normal.

But then awards season rolls around and things start to get busy again. The movie that Jade made when she was pregnant with the twins has her nominated for both Golden Globe and Oscar awards. It's not the first time she's been nominated for a major award, she has won two Golden Globes and an Emmy already, not to mention her Tony, but it's the first time she's ever been nominated for an Oscar. It's a big deal, even just having the nomination and not necessarily winning.

Jade wins her Golden Globe. It doesn't necessarily mean that she'll win the Oscar, but it definitely makes her chances look better. Every time she accomplishes something major like this, Beck doesn't think he could ever be prouder of her. But then she goes and does something else that proves her wrong and starts the cycle all over again. He knows how lucky he is to have her, and how much better she makes his life every day simply just by being in it. She's offered him all of her love, support, and even forgiveness since the day that they met. Not to mention the four beautiful little girls that she's given him as well. He knows that people often say it's impossible to have the perfect life, but Beck truly believes that because of Jade he does. Beck isn't perfect, but he knows that Jade is...and that makes his life perfect by default.

"Remember when we came here for you?" Jade asks him, squeezing his hand tightly in the back of the limo as they drive towards the Oscars red carpet

"Which time?" He smirks

"The first time."

He's been nominated for a total of three Oscars over the course of his career and won two of them. But he knows that the first one that he won, right after Lennon was born, will always be the most special.

"I do." Beck smiles "You wore a black dress, and you had your hair up."

Her dress is red this time, and her hair is down and curled so that it frames her face.

"Yeah, I did." She nods with a laugh "I thought it would make me look older. If only I could go back now and look that young again."

"Are you trying to insinuate that you somehow look old?" Beck asks her "Because you don't. You look gorgeous."

"I never said I didn't look _good_." Jade chuckles "But I do look older now. Six years, four kids, and a lot of lost sleep will do that to a person."

It's true, she does look a bit older now, or at least a bit more mature. They both do. There's lines on their faces that weren't there before, and their eyes know wisdom now that they didn't when they were younger. They're still considered one of the hottest couples in Hollywood, people still either want to be them or be _with_ them, but there's a difference between twenty-five and thirty-one...even if it's small.

Their limo stops in front of the entrance to the red carpet, and a worker from the event opens the door for them. Beck steps out first and buttons the jacket on his suit, then reaches back into the car to help Jade step out. He watched her get ready, and he sat next to her in the car...but watching her step out onto the carpet, illuminated by the flashbulbs and the bright lights...she takes his breath away.

"You alright?" She laughs

"Yeah." He assures her "You just look...wow."

"You look pretty good yourself there too, handsome." She smirks

They share a brief kiss, which causes the crowd to roar even louder than they had when the couple stepped out of the limo, then make their way to the carpet to take pictures.

Jade has never loved red carpets, even the small ones. There's too much going on, she never knows where to look, and someone is always trying to talk to them. But having Beck by her side makes her feel better, safer even. He knows how to work the camera, and just what to say to make the reporters interested. Unfortunately tonight, her urges her to do most of the taking. It's her project, and he knows that she's proud of it, and he wants that to show.

"This movie deserves to win every award that it's nominated for." He tells her as they take their seats inside the theater "Seriously, Jade, I'm not just saying that because I'm married to the lead. I'm saying that because it's a truly phenomenal piece of cinema and no matter how this thing plays out, I want you to know that I'm really proud of you and that you should be proud of yourself too."

"Thank you, baby."

"I'm serious." He repeats "I mean not just your performance but everything that you were going through while you were filming it, with the pregnancy and the morning sickness? And then coming home to two other kids and taking care of them? And taking care of me? I couldn't have done it. You're a super hero."

"Well, thank you." Jade smiles "Hopefully the academy agrees with you."

"They'd be stupid not to."

"Be careful how loud you say that." Jade warns him, looking over her shoulder "You never know who's around."

Jade feels significantly less nervous sitting through the ceremony than she ever has when they've attended because of one of Beck's nominations. She's always wanted him to win so badly, so much so that there were times when she felt sick to her stomach. But now? She's almost at ease. An Oscar nomination is nothing to be ashamed of. Recognition is recognition. But so far her movie has been sweeping up wins left and right. Best director, best original screenplay, best supporting actor, and best supporting actress. Jade's chances don't look half bad, but she remains calm until the previous year's best lead actress walks onto the stage with an envelope and starts reading the nominees. Then she feels her heart start to beat a little faster.

Beck notices that she tenses up and reaches over and squeezes her leg reassuringly, offering her a look of encouragement without saying any words to her at all. She smiles at him a bit, removing his hand from her leg and interlacing their fingers together so that they can hold hands. Both of them squeeze the other tightly as the actress on stage opens the envelope to read the winner.

"And the Oscar goes to..." She smiles "Jade Oliver, The Innocence Story."

Beck is on his feet and cheering before Jade can even really register that she won. He reaches down and cups his face in his hands, kissing her as she stands up from her seat. After the kiss, the two of them hug briefly before Jade starts making her way down the center aisle towards the stage, trying not to trip over her dress or over her own feet.

"Wow, thank you so much!" Jade grins as she accepts the statuette "I'm not going to lie, I didn't really have anything prepared so if it sounds like I'm rambling it's because I am. Thank you first to the academy, of course. The recognition was amazing on it's own, but to win...thank you. Also, movies don't get made by themselves, so thank you to everyone who was apart of making this one. Natalie, our director, my wonderful co-stars Keith, Julie, and Hailey, you guys are such rockstars. Uh, we were really proud of this movie and getting to tell this story. Thank you to everyone who went to see it, and told their friends to see it or tweeted about it or anything. We don't make movies for ourselves, we make them for you, for the fans. So thank you for the support. Uh, thank you to my husband. We've had our ups and downs, but at the end of the day...you and I are in this together and forever. I've never had a bigger supporter, and that means more to me than anything ever could. I love you. And to our four perfect little baby girls at home...Lennon, Charlotte, Hazel, Sutton...Mommy loves you more than you'll ever know, and I can't wait to get home to you. Thank you, everybody."

The music that signals the end of Jade's speech begins to play, and she's escorted off stage and back into the holding area behind the scenes. It's there that her statuette will be engraved with her name, category, and the year. They never engrave them before hand, so that there's absolutely no way anyone can find out who the winners are before they're announced, and also so that the winner gets to have a part in the process.

"Be careful with it." Jade says as she hands the statuette over to the man behind the desk "It's my first one."

"Of course, Mrs. Oliver." The man nods "J-A-D-E O-L-I-V-E-R?"

"That's right, yes." Jade tells him

It's actually a plaque that gets screwed on to the base of the statuette that gets engraved. Jade watches anxiously as the man punches a few things into a computer and then a small laser begins carving her name into the plate of metal.

_Academy Award _

_To _

_Jade Oliver _

_Best Actress _

_"The Innocence Story"_

_2027_

Jade feels like she's floating as she carries the award back to her seat with her. They make her wait in one of the wings until a commercial break, and then she makes her way back to her husband.

"Look at this." Beck smiles, taking the award for her so she can adjust her dress underneath her as she sits down "The first of many."

"I don't know about that..." Jade chuckles as she looks over at the award "But it's pretty special nonetheless."

She's not even back in her seat for five minutes when the time to announce best picture comes up in the program. Having won every other category it was nominated in, it doesn't come as much of a surprise to anyone when Jade's movie wins. She accompanies her director, producer, writers, and co-stars up to the stage, but this time lets the director give the speech. Not having to worry about speaking, Jade is able to look out at the audience and see her husband standing and clapping for them along with everyone else. She smiles and blows a kiss to him, and he smiles and sends one back.

* * *

"It's so shiny!" Charlotte remarks as she watches Beck place Jade's Oscar into their award case "I want one!"

"Maybe one day." Jade encourages her, rubbing her back with one had while she holds Hazel on her waist with the other "If you set your mind to something, you can definitely achieve it."

"Len, do you want to go play?" Charlotte asks her sister, obviously now bored of her mother's award

"Sure." Lennon shrugs "Let's go."

The two girls run off into another room to play together, and Beck picks Sutton up off the ground where he had set her down to move the award.

"Look at that." Beck smiles, shifting the baby to his hip so he can wrap an arm around his wife "An Emmy, a Tony, and now an Oscar. All you're missing is the Grammy and you've got yourself that EGOT."

"I'm never winning a grammy." Jade chuckles "I have no desire to win a grammy."

"Not even for the sake of having an EGOT?"

"No." Jade assures him "I would have to force myself, and I don't want anything to be forced."

"That's fair enough." Beck agrees "You're just going to have to settle for having a TOE instead."

"Well when you put it like that..." Jade laughs

"Toe!" Sutton exclaims with a giggle, which causes Hazel to giggle as well

"Aw, that's cute." Jade smiles, blowing a raspberry on Hazel's cheek "Are you two being silly little girls?"

"They're always being silly." Beck chuckles as he tickles Sutton's tummy

This causes the baby to laugh, which in turn makes her sister laugh, and causes their parents to laugh too.

"We could win all of the awards there are to win in the industry...but nothing could ever compare to them." Jade admits, looking to her husband "Or our family. Screw everything else. This is all I need."

"Yeah." Beck agrees, leaning over and kissing her "I agree."

"I love you."

"I love you more."


	27. A Star Is Born

Lennon Danielle Oliver is seven and a half years old when she says the thing that no actor or actress ever want to hear from their own child.

"I want to be in movies like Mom." She tells Beck, seemingly out of nowhere

They're sitting together at the kitchen island, working on her homework together. Normally Jade is the one to help Lennon and Charlotte with their assignments, she's always had more patience both with the kids when they don't understand and with herself when she doesn't understand something academically. But tonight Sutton is feeling a bit under the weather, so Jade had taken the responsibility of making sure she gets put to bed a bit earlier and left her husband on homework duty. It's math, and Beck hates math. He thought that he might be able to handle it, since she's only in second grade. How hard could that be? But this new Singapore method is really throwing him for a loop. What was wrong with math the way he learned it in school? It had gotten him through life just fine. Why did they need to go and change it now?

But Lennon's statement is more concerning than any unknown math concept that could have appeared on paper. It's every actor's worst nightmare, she wants to be like them.

"You know, I make movies too." He reminds her, hoping that his humor could change the subject "It's not just Mom."

"I know that." Lennon shrugs "But I said I want to be like Mom. Sometimes she gets to sing in her's."

Alright, that's fair enough. Jade has done a few movie musicals before and she even did that stretch on broadway for a little bit, although Beck doubts Lennon knows about that yet...she's still too young to have seen Rent, even if her mother is in it.

"Lennon, trust me." Beck sighs "You don't want to do that yet. We can talk about it when you're older."

"You just don't want me to have fun." Lennon pouts, crossing her arms "You and Mom get to go to work and have fun. Why can't I?"

"Exactly, we go to _work_." Beck points out "Being in movies is our job. Right now your job is to go to school and learn and to be a good big sister to your little ones."

"There are kids my age who work!" Lennon argues "There's always someone else playing your daughter in your movies. Or Mom's!"

"Well, those children's parents have allowed them that privilege." Beck tells her "And right now, I'm saying that's not a privilege I'm ready to give you yet."

"MOM!" Lennon yells, hopping off of her stool and running out of the kitchen "MOM!"

"Sure..." Beck sighs, running a hand through his hair as he stands up to follow her "Run to Mom."

Beck finds them at the top of the stairs, Jade with a concerned look on her face as she kneels down to be eye-level with Lennon.

"What's going on?" She asks him

"Nothing that should have resulted in this dramatic of a reaction..." Beck informs her "Lennon Danielle, your sisters are trying to sleep. You can't scream like that unless it's an absolute emergency."

"This _is_ an emergency!" Lennon insists "You're being a butt head!"

Jade shoots her husband an amused look as she stands up and places a hand on her daughter's back, guiding her into her bedroom. Lennon runs in and flops face first onto her bed, obviously irritated, as Beck and Jade walk in behind her and close the door.

"What's going on?" Jade asks "Why are you all worked up, Len?"

"I wanna be in movies!" Lennon tells her "Like you!"

"Alright." Jade shrugs, almost laughing at how such a simple statement could cause such a big reaction from her daughter "You can be whatever you want when you grow up, you know that."

"No, I want to be in movies _now_." Lennon clarifies

"Oh..." Jade nods, the outburst making more sense to her now "And Daddy told you no?"

"Yeah! Because he's a butt head!"

"Stop calling him that, Lennon." Jade sighs "It's disrespectful and its mean."

"Well, he's being mean!"

"I don't care, Lennon Danielle." Jade says sternly "We've taught you better than to talk like that."

Her mother's suddenly stern tone and the use of her middle name is a signal to Lennon that she's going to be in trouble if she continues on the way that she has been. With a huff, the seven year-old pushes herself into a sitting position and scoots tot the edge of her bed, crossing her arms over her chest as her legs dangle over the side. Beck and Jade exchange a look with one another, and each move to sit on either side of her.

"Look, Len..." Beck sighs "I love you. Mom loves you. And we want you to be happy. Okay? But we also want you to be able to be a kid. And if you all of a sudden have a real grown up job in movies like we do...well there isn't going to be much time left to be a kid."

"You guys still have time to be adults."

"There's a bit of a difference between being an adult and being a kid." Jade tells her "And you only get to see a very small part of what your dad and I do while we're at work. I get the feeling it might not be as fun as you think it is once you actually get into it."

"But I want to."

"Lennon..." Beck begins, but Jade holds up a hand to stop him from saying anything else

"Dad and I will talk about it, okay?" She tells her daughter as she rubs her back "We might not have an answer for you by tomorrow, or the next day, or even next week. But we will talk about it, I promise."

"That just means you're going to say no." Lennon pouts "You're just trying to put it off."

"Not necessarily." Beck reassures her "It means we really do need to talk about it."

"Fine." Lennon sighs

It's in that moment that Beck can see just how similar Lennon and Jade are. Not only in appearance, they have the same big blue eyes and light brown wavy hair, but in attitude. They're both very determined and motivated, and neither one of them like to lose. But Jade knows when a battle isn't worth fighting anymore, and he's starting to see that Lennon might too.

"Did you finish your homework?" Jade asks her

"No."

"Why don't we go work on that then?" Jade suggests "I know math isn't really Dad's favorite."

"Homework in general isn't really Dad's favorite..." Beck admits, which earns him a nasty look from his wife "Sorry."

"Can you go check on the others and make sure they're still asleep?" Jade asks him "I'll help her finish up and then I'll send her back up to get ready for bed."

"Sure." Beck nods "I'm on it."

Thankfully, Sutton and Hazel are still asleep when Beck peeks in to check on them. The now two-year olds still sleep in the same room, but have their own beds on opposite walls. When they start pre-school next year, Beck and Jade plan on moving one of them into the empty bedroom next door. Charlotte is slightly conscious when her father looks in, but she had only just recently attempted to try falling asleep. Beck assures her that nothing is wrong and that he just wanted to check on her, then sits with her awhile until her eyes grow heavy again. Within half an hour, Jade and Lennon have returned upstairs so that Lennon can get ready for bed. Her parents tuck her in and say goodnight, then return to the kitchen themselves.

"She's just like you, you know..." Beck says to his wife as he pops the cork out of a bottle of wine

"Which one?"

"Lennon." Beck chuckles as he grabs a glass for each of them "Not in a bad way or anything. I just see a lot of your...determination...in her."

"That was a smart choice of words." Jade tells him, taking her glass of wine out of his hand and sitting at the island "I was worried about where you were going to take that."

"I don't want her in movies yet." Beck says seriously, taking his own glass of wine to sit next to his wife "Or TV. It's just...you know how it is with child stars."

"Yeah, I do." Jade nods "But if she really is anything like me, she won't let this go. I sure wouldn't have at her age. Or at any age really."

"I don't want her to think we don't support her." Beck admits "But I also don't want the industry to ruin her childhood. I mean, if we start putting her in stuff now we might as well just hand her the keys to the liquor cabinet while we're at it."

"Alright, that's a bit much." Jade tells him "And not really an image of my sweet little seven year old that I want in my head."

"Sorry." Beck apologizes "It's just...well you know how it is."

"We've raised her well so far, or at least I think we have." Jade sighs "Maybe if we kept an eye on her and made sure that she still has as normal of a childhood as possible..."

"What about school?" Beck asks "I want her in a real school where she's getting a real education from a real teacher. Not some on-set classroom where a tutor is going to give her the bare minimum to get her GED by sixteen so she can work full time."

"That's a good point." Jade agrees "But, there's the chance she might try it and end up not liking it. I mean, I _love_ what I do, but there's definitely aspects to it that I have to deal with that I never thought I would. I'm sure you can agree with that?"

"I can." Beck nods "But nothing that would stop me from continuing to pursue it."

"She might think differently." Jade shrugs "Maybe I could get her in as an extra or something on my next project, so she can see what it's like to be on a set."

"She's visited both of us on set before, she knows what it's like."

"She knows what it's like to be the star's kid and get treated like royalty by everyone she comes into contact with." Jade reminds him "Not what it's like to actually be an actor."

"I dunno..." Beck admits "I'm just not comfortable with that yet. I also don't want to just allow her these special privileges because of who _we_ are, you know? Like she couldn't just walk in as an extra if we weren't her parents working on the movie. I want her, I want all of them, to know the value of what it's like to actually work for something. We had it rough in the beginning, remember? We had to work hard to break into the industry. And I want them to know the same feeling of accomplishment of having to work for something. Part of that is already taken away from them because of their last name."

"We can't just flat out tell her no."

"And why not?" Beck asks "We're her parents. What we say goes for now and she has to be okay with it until she turns eighteen."

"I don't want to be those parents though." Jade tells him "My dad was that parent, and I hated it. I want to be reasonable and fair with them."

"So, what are you suggesting then?"

"Let's get her into theater at school or something." Jade suggests "Obviously community theater is out of the question. Because of us there's no anonymity anymore, there hasn't been for years. People would eat her alive trying to get to us. But at school, she'd be safe."

Beck and Jade opted not to send Lennon, and then eventually Charlotte and soon the twins, to public school when the time came. They would have preferred to send them to public school, if they could. Both of them attended public school until it came time for Hollywood Arts and they both liked the experiences that they had, but because of who they are they worry that their children's privacy may be compromised in a public school environment. Instead, they send them to a non-relgious private school that had been highly recommended by a few of their colleagues also in the industry. It's not snobby but protects their privacy while still insuring that they get a good education. Both Beck and Jade love the school environment and what is has to offer their children, and speak so highly of it that Cat and Robbie also plan on sending Eli there when he starts kindergarten the following year.

"I would be okay with that." Beck nods "Let her try things out before she gets herself in too deep?"

"Exactly."

They wait a few days before bringing anything up to Lennon. Her emotions had run so high the night that they first had the conversation, and Beck and Jade decide it's for the best if they let her calm down a bit first before starting the conversation again. When they do finally decide to talk to her, it's Jade that instigates the conversation. Her and Lennon are close, and Beck already looks like the bad guy after saying no the first time, so she feels that it might get through to Lennon better if she's the one to bring it up.

"Dad and I have discussed the conversation we had the other night..." Jade tells her daughter "And we're not trying to be mean, but we think it would be best if you wait until you're a little older to try movies or TV."

"But-"

"No buts." Jade shakes her head "This job that we do...there's a lot more to it than just what you and your sisters can see. It's a lot of hard work, and we don't want to throw you into that without knowing what you're up against. It's just not fair."

"What's not fair is saying no." Lennon sighs

"We're not saying no completely." Beck chimes in "We're just saying no right now. When you're a little older and you've had some time to explore other things, then we can talk about it. But for right now we'd like you to wait. Does that sound fair?"

"Not really, but it's fine I guess."

"You know, Dad and I didn't start off in movies or TV right away." Jade says to Lennon "I know that's all you've ever known us to be doing, but before you were born we did other things."

"You did?"

"Sure." Jade nods "Not everybody gets to be a big star right away. We had to start at the bottom and work our way up from there."

"It's true." Beck tells her "We used to do plays or little commercials here and there. Not huge parts either, sometimes our characters didn't even have names."

"Really?" Lennon gasps "Why?"

"Well, because we were just starting out." Beck chuckles "People didn't know us that well yet, so we had to start somewhere."

"And we were thinking that if this is something you _really_ want to do...that you could start with your school play?" Jade suggests "How does that sound?"

"You did plays?" Lennon asks

"We did." Jade nods "I even did a musical once. When you're older, I'll show you the video."

"Okay." Lennon shrugs "I'll try a play."

"Alright good." Jade grins "That's good, Len."

There isn't much in the way of competition when it comes to casting the school play, anyone who signs up gets to be in it and their parts are assigned based on gender and age. The students in kindergarten through second grade put on one production, while the students in third through fifth grade put on another to keep the cast numbers down and to keep things fair. Of course, once Charlotte found out Lennon was doing the play she wanted to participate as well. So, they were both cast in the production of the Corduroy, with Charlotte playing a baby doll and Lennon playing Lisa's mother.

Beck and Jade both attend both performances of the play while Sutton and Hazel stay home with Stephanie. Their parents attend the evening show with them as well and get the chance to see their granddaughters make their first big acting debut. Charlotte seems as if she could care less when the next time is she'll get to be on stage, but as soon as they're in the car on the way home from the school following the last performance Lennon is already asking her parents when she'll get to do another play. She seems bummed that there won't be another school production until the spring, but seems content with Jade's offer to look into ballet classes to keep her occupied in the mean time.

"I think we're in trouble, babe." Beck tells his wife later that night as they're getting ready for bed "I think she might really like performing."

"So what if she does?" Jade laughs "Remember who her parents are? It was basically inevitable."


	28. Oops?

"Beck?" Jade calls out as she enters the foyer of their house and closes the door behind her

"Living room!" He calls back to her

Jade readjusts her bag on her shoulder and follows the sound of her husbands voice. There's voices coming from what she can only assume is the TV, but the only noise that can be heard in the otherwise quiet house is the echo of her heels as they click across the tile.

"Hey." She smiles when she sees him, sitting on the couch with Charlotte fast asleep against his side

"Hey." He greets her with a kiss as she sits down next to him "How was your day?"

"Not bad." Jade admits "If we stay on track next week, we should be able to wrap the whole thing by Friday."

"That's great!" Beck tells her

"How was _your_ day?" She asks him, leaning over to look at Charlotte

"We did okay, this one was feeling a bit under the weather though." Beck sighs as he readjusts his arm around Charlotte "She got a bit clingy at bedtime, so I told her she could stay down here with me and wait for you to get home but of course, the news is not nearly interesting enough to keep her awake that long."

"Poor baby." Jade frowns, reaching over to feel the little girl's forehead "Did she spike a fever at all?"

"No, I think it's just a stomach bug or something along those lines." Beck tells her "She's been complaining that her tummy hurts."

"Well whatever it is, I think I might have it too." Jade admits "I have a killer headache and I've been nauseous all day."

"Maybe it would just be best if we all went to bed then." Beck suggests "We don't need anyone getting any worse, especially with you so close to wrapping."

"I think that's a good idea." Jade agrees "Let's get to bed."

Beck gently takes Charlotte in his arms before standing up and carrying her upstairs to her bedroom. Jade follows behind him, turning out all of the lights as she passes each switch.

Over the next few days, Charlotte starts to feel much better. She's significantly less clingy and is back up running around with her sisters in no time. Jade, however, starts to feel worse and worse. She writes it off as fatigue at first. They work long hours to make sure their movie wraps on time, so she isn't getting enough sleep to fight off the bug. But then after being home with Beck and the girls for a few days and not working at all, she still doesn't seem to feel any better.

"I think I might have the flu." She groans, rolling onto her side "This sucks."

"Call the doctor then." Beck shrugs "They'll be able to get you some meds to clear it up."

"Yeah, but I hate the doctor." Jade rolls her eyes "Or at least going. The woman herself is plenty nice."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No..." Jade sighs "It's stupid to call Stephanie in or make one of our parents drive over here to watch the girls for an appointment that will probably only take fifteen minutes. I'll go alone."

So Jade calls the doctor and makes an appointment for later that afternoon, and then stays in bed away from the kids until it's time for her to leave so she can avoid potentially spreading her sickness to them. Beck kisses her on the forehead instead of the lips when she leaves as well, just in case. She promises to be back within an hour, then heads off.

Beck puts Hazel and Sutton down for their naps, then accompanies Lennon and Charlotte to the backyard so they can play on the trampoline and swing set. Both girls eagerly try to convince their father to join them, but Beck assures them that he enjoys watching them have fun much more than he enjoys anything else. An hour comes and goes and Jade still doesn't return, but he's not worried. If something was wrong, she would let him know immediately. He keeps his phone in his pocket and on full volume, but he doesn't let his wife's absence bother him too much.

Eventually Jade does call, and lets him know that everything went alright at the doctor's and that she's on her way home. It's approaching dinner time at that point so Beck asks her if she's feeling well enough to stop and pick something up from one of their favorite restaurants, and Jade says that she is. So Beck puts the order in and Jade brings it home, and their girls are thrilled that they get to enjoy their favorite pasta at home in their casual clothes rather than having to get dressed up to go and get it.

"Everything go alright at the doctor?" Beck asks her as they clean up dinner "You've been kind of quiet since you got home."

It hadn't been too alarming, he knows she doesn't feel well. But it's unlike her not to at least fill him in on what the doctor's verdict had been.

"Well..." She sighs, setting down the plate she had been washing to make sure their kids are playing in the living room and definitely out of earshot "I don't have the flu."

"You don't?" He asks her, confused "What is it then?"

All of her symptoms were a dead ringer for the flu.

"I..." She begins, rubbing her temples "Beck, I'm pregnant."

"You're what?"

"Pregnant." She repeats "Thankfully with just one this time, but still pregnant."

"That doesn't make any sense." Beck says "I mean, we stopped trying. We're actually taking precautions at this point to avoid it."

"Apparently not enough of them." Jade shrugs "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" He assures her, taking her in his arms "This is great, Jade. Honestly. I'm just a little surprised, but I'm thrilled! I promise! Are you okay, though? I know you said you wanted to be done after the twins, and I know how hard the last pregnancy was on you."

"I'm still processing it." Jade admits as she rests her head against his chest "Obviously I love the little turd already and I'm already thinking about it. But...five is going to be a lot."

"It'll be a lot, but it won't be anything we can't handle." Beck assures her as he hugs her tightly "I love you and I'll be here for you no matter how you need me to be. Just like I was with the other's."

"I know you do and I know you will be and I love you for it." Jade smiles, looking up at him

"Hey, since you don't have the flu...it's okay to kiss you on the lips, right?"

"Right."

"Alright." He smirks before kissing her "I love you too. And I love that little guy or girl."

"Let's be real, Beck. It's a girl." Jade sighs "We wouldn't know what to do with a boy."

"You're right." He agrees with a laugh

"I just want you to know..." Jade tells him "That you're without a doubt getting a vasectomy now."

"Fine." Beck chuckles "That's probably for the best. I'll call my doctor on Monday."

"Good plan...I have a sonogram picture in my purse." She tells him "Do you want to see?"

"Is that even a question?"

* * *

"Hello?" Cat singsongs as she steps onto the Oliver's back patio "Anyone home?"

"Hi Aunt Cap!" Lennon waves from the pool

"Hey Aunt Cat!" Charlotte is quick to add as well

Hazel and Sutton also smile and wave to her, but are more interested in splashing Beck than they are in actually saying hello.

"C'mon, Dad!" Eli exclaims as he grabs Robbie's hand and pulls him towards the water "Let's swim!"

"Alright, alright." Robbie chuckles, taking his t-shirt off "Not so fast though, buddy. You've still got your shoes on!"

Cat watches as her husband assists their son in removing everything except his swim trunks, and can't help but grin as they both run and jump into the pool to join Beck and his daughters. She watches them swim around and splash for a few minutes, then walks over to the patio table to join Jade.

"Hey there." Jade grins, peeking into the baby wrap on Cat's chest "How's she doing?"

"She's great." Cat grins as she looks down at her daughter, sleeping peacefully against her chest "She's so mellow."

Two month-old Amelia Lynn Valentine-Shapiro, or Mia as she is known by most, is in fact a very mellow baby. Unlike her older brother, she was a great sleeper from the very beginning and really only ever fusses when she's hungry or uncomfortable. Cat and Robbie weren't really sure how Elijah would adjust to her, seeing as he had been an only child and his parents' only concern for so long, but he absolutely adores her.

"Enjoy that while you can." Jade chuckles "Before long, she'll be out there splashing around and causing trouble with the rest of them."

"Yeah." Cat smiles, rubbing the baby's back "Remember when they were this little? Or remember when there was only Lennon?"

"Time really does fly, doesn't it?"

Lennon is eight now, and will be close to nine by the time her newest sibling arrives. Charlotte is six, as is Elijah, and Hazel and Sutton just turned three.

"How's baby Oliver doing today?" Cat asks her friend

"She's good." Jade tells her, crossing her arms over her bump

She's six months now, and thankfully having a much easier pregnancy than she had with the twins. She still considers Charlotte to be her easiest of all, but she isn't bedridden this time around and her morning sickness stayed in the first trimester so she's taking this one as a win.

"She?" Cat raises an eyebrow at her "Is that confirmed?"

"We don't need it confirmed." Jade laughs "It's for sure a girl, I can feel it in my gut. Beck and I don't know how to make boys. Believe me, we've tried."

"Well maybe since you _weren't_ trying this time, you'll get a different result." Cat shrugs

"Somehow I doubt that."

"If you're so sure it's a girl, have you started talking about names yet?" Cat asks as she rocks Mia a bit "I know you two are notorious for saving that for the third trimester."

"We haven't really yet, no." Jade admits "Or at least I haven't. Beck really likes Adaline for some reason, but I hate it so that won't be it."

"Like the movie?"

"Exactly like the movie." Jade rolls her eyes

"I suppose there's worse places to draw inspiration from." Cat chuckles as Mia starts to fuss "Oh c'mon, really? I _just_ got done talking about how good you are!"

"Do you need to feed her?"

"No, she ate before we came." Cat tells her "I think she just wants to be held instead of wrapped up

"Mom!" Elijah calls from the pool "Come watch me!"

"Eli, I can't right now. Your sister is-"

"Let me take her." Jade offers

"Are you sure?"

"Well you said she just wants to be held, right?" Jade shrugs, holding her arms out "I can hold, and I can rock. Lord knows I've had the practice."

"Thanks." Cat smiles as she hands the baby over to her friend "I'll be right back, I promise."

"Take your time." Jade tells her as she cradles the infant in her arms "Oh, oh, oh, I know. I know. Shh...you're okay."

She bounces Mia lightly in her arms for a bit, rocking back and forth as she does so. Eventually the baby quiets down, looking up at her with big eyes.

"Hi Miss Mia." Jade smiles at the baby "You look just like your mommy, huh? You sure do. I'm working on a little best friend for you, I promise. She just needs a few more months and then she'll be here. The two of you are going to be a real handful, just like your mom and I were...but you'll be such good friends."

When Cat came over to the pool to watch Elijah, Beck noticed that she no longer had the baby wrapped up on her chest. A bit confused, he looked back to the patio table and saw that the baby was with his own wife instead. A smile spreads across his face as he watches her rock Mia and talk to her, even though he's too far away to hear what she's saying. In that moment there were two things Beck Oliver had never been so certain of in his life, one being that Jade is the best friend, the best partner, and the best wife he could ever ask for. And the other? That his daughters, all five of them, have the greatest mother in the world.

* * *

"I told you, no vowels." Jade groans, laying back against her hospital bed "First names that start with vowels just don't sound right in front of our last name."

"I think Addie Oliver is cute." Beck shrugs

"Ugh, shortening it to Addie is even worse." Jade scoffs "Absolutely not. Adaline is out."

"Can we go back to Hailey then?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it sounds too close to Hazel." Jade reminds him "We'd be mixing them up constantly."

"We already mix them up!"

"That's not something we should be proud of."

"Well, we're getting nowhere with this." Beck sighs, closing out of the baby name app on his phone and setting it on the table "I suppose we'll just have to call her Baby Girl for the first few hours."

"There's worse things." Jade admits as a nurse comes in to check on her "Besides, I'm sure it'll be easier once we see her."

"You're ten centimeters." The nurse smiles "I'll go let the doctor know."

"That was fast." Beck says as the nurse leaves

"Yeah well..." Jade smirks "The more you have, the quicker it goes."

"Thank god we're not having Lennon again." Beck jokes "She was what? Thirty-two hours?"

"Mhm." Jade nods "Thirty-two hours of labor and then another hour of pushing on top of that."

"Well hopefully this one goes a bit quicker." Beck smiles, positioning himself next to her bed and grabbing her hand

"I'm sure it will." She agrees as he kisses the top of her head

"Last one, best one. Right?"

"Something like that." Jade rolls her eyes again, but smiles this time "I love you."

"I love you too."

And it does take her significantly less time to push this baby out. After three contractions and three pushes, the doctor has a strong enough grip on the baby's shoulders to grab her.

"One more push, Jade!" She encourages her patient "I've got her shoulders, just give me one more push to slide her out!"

"You can do it, baby!" Beck assures his wife as he squeezes her hand tightly "I love you so much!"

Jade groans, but puts everything she has into one last push. Before long a baby is crying, and the room is full of cheers.

"Oh my god." Jade laughs as the doctor holds the baby up for them to see "Beck..."

"It's a boy!" Beck grins as the baby is placed on his wife's chest "We had a boy, Jade!"

"I can see that..." Jade smiles up at him "I would have never thought..."

"Me either." Beck admits "But look at this, he's here!"

"He sure is..." Jade coos as she strokes the baby's cheek gently "Hey there, little guy. Welcome to the family..."

"We're going to have to have the name argument all over again." Beck reminds her as he kneels down to get a better look at the baby "I mean, I wasn't prepared for this at all."

"Neither was I." Jade assures him "But, we haven't needed any boys names yet...so there's still plenty to choose from."

"That's true." Beck grins "Wow, the girls aren't going to know what to think."

"I'm not even sure I know what to think at this point." Jade laughs "We have a son..."

"We sure do." Beck leans forward and kisses her forehead "The most handsome son in the world."

Stephanie and Jade's mother, Kaitlyn, bring Lennon, Charlotte, Hazel, and Sutton up to the hospital the next morning to visit their parents and the baby, as it had been late by the time both he and Jade had been given clean bills of health and allowed visitors the night before. They opted not to tell anyone about their surprise, wanting to see the look on the girls' faces when they told them in person.

"Mommy!" Sutton is the first to exclaim and run over to Jade's bed "We missed you."

"I missed you too, pretty girl." Jade smiles "I missed all of you."

"Is that the baby?" Charlotte asks

"Sure is." Jade tells them, repositioning the baby in her arms so they can see him better "This is your new baby brother."

"Brother?" Lennon gasps "Really?"

"Really." Beck chuckles "We were just as surprised as you."

"But you said it was a sister!" Hazel insists "You lied!"

"Alright, technically we never really knew for sure. We just had a gut feeling." Beck tells her as he lifts her up onto the bed to see better, then does the same with Sutton "We were wrong, and that's okay. It happens. He's kinda cute, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"He's _so_ cute!" Lennon coos "Can I hold him?"

"In a little bit, okay?" Beck tells her "Let's give everyone a chance to settle down first."

"Okay." Lennon nods, not taking her eyes off of the baby

"Does he have a name?" Kaitlyn asks, looking down over Jade's shoulder at her new grandson "Or have you not gotten that far yet?"

"He has a name." Jade assures her "Ladies, allow me to introduce you to our newest family member...Dominic James Oliver."

"Oh, I love that." Kaitlyn tells her daughter as she squeezes her shoulder reassuringly "Little Dominic."

"Fits pretty well, doesn't it?"

"It does."

"Daddy's middle name is James too!" Charlotte points out

"Sure is." Jade nods "That's why we picked it. I got to pass part of my name to Lennon because she was our first girl, and Dad wanted to pass part of his name to Dom since he's our first boy."

"And our last." Beck is quick to add "Enjoy him while he's small, girls. Because there's not going to be any more babies after this."

"Aw man!" Sutton groans, which causes her parents to laugh

"Do we get to take him home now?"

"No, not yet." Beck shakes his head "He needs to stay here with Mom until tomorrow so the doctors can make sure they're both one hundred percent healthy, but we'll be home as soon as they tell us we can leave. I promise."

"All of you get together." Kaitlyn orders the family as she pulls her phone out of her purse "Let me take your first official family photo!"

Beck helps Hazel and Sutton sit on either side of Jade while she holds Dominic in her hospital bed. Beck holds Charlotte on his hip and stands off to one side of the bed, while Lennon stands on the other. Kaitlyn miraculously manages to get a picture where everyone is not only looking at the camera, but also all smiling at the same time. Beck and Jade both choose to post it to their instagrams, along with one of Dominic's newborn pictures and matching captions that read: '_Dominic James, you make us complete_.'


	29. Renewal

If someone had gone to Jade the morning after her first date with Beck and told her what her life would turn out to be twenty years later, there's not a doubt in her mind that she would have laughed them right out of the room. Sure, the part about the big glamorous Hollywood life would have intrigued her, probably even made her anxious with excitement. But the part about the Canadian transfer student that her friend Andre brought to lunch with them on his first day? That she would have never believed, certainly not at fourteen years old. There was absolutely no way that she and that boy would date, let alone that they would end up married with five children. Not at all. Yet here they are, happily married for close to fifteen years, together for almost twenty, with two incredibly successfully careers in Hollywood and five great kids as a result.

She awakes one morning in mid-December to find the house eerily quiet. Both she and Beck had decided that, at least for the time being, they would go back to only one of them working at a time so that there was always someone around for the kids. It was Beck's turn, obviously, because Dominic is barely a month old and she doesn't feel ready to be working again. Her husband told her that he was going to be on set today, working on his next mini-series. So in theory, the house should be loud. Even though Stephanie is around to help with the kids, Sutton and Hazel should have woken her up with the sun to play with them, and Lennon should have followed them in to scold them and tell them to leave her alone. But none of that happened, the house is almost silent.

Jade rubs the sleep from her eyes and rolls over to her right, seeing that Beck's side of the bed is in fact empty. She's still confused as she sits up and swings her legs over the side of the bed, standing up to make her way over to the cradle just a few paces away. They opted to keep Dominic in their room with them until he starts sleeping through the night not just for their own convenience, but so that his fussing doesn't wake any of his sisters in the middle of the night.

"Hi baby boy..." Jade coos, reaching down and picking up her son "Good morning."

She notices that his diaper is freshly changed, and that he's not wearing the same pair of pajamas he had been in when she fed him earlier that morning.

"What on earth is going on here today?" She asks the baby, cradling him in her arms as she moves to leave the bedroom "Huh? This is just crazy."

As Jade makes her way down the hallway, she peeks into both Hazel and Sutton's bedrooms and sees that they're empty. She doesn't hear any commotion coming from Charlotte or Lennon's bedrooms past the staircase, so she chooses to go downstairs and see what she can find there.

The foyer and the living room are empty, as is the playroom on the first floor.

"What the hell?" Jade sighs as she carries Dom through the house with her

She's not upset by the lack of noise or the lack of craziness, she just wishes that she knew where her kids are. Or at least, where the girls are. Obviously Dominic is with her.

In the kitchen, she notices a piece of paper on the otherwise bare island. With her free hand that isn't supporting Dominic, she reaches over and slides it towards her. There's one word written on it in black pen, and she immediately recognizes her husband's slanted handwriting.

"Backyard." She reads the paper, then looks down at Dominic "Alright then, let's try the backyard."

"Mom!" Charlotte exclaims as Jade opens the sliding glass doors to step onto the patio "Dad! She's here!"

"I see that." Beck chuckles "You guys know what to do."

Jade watches as her daughters assemble themselves in what appears to be a rehearsed formation around their father as he stands in the center of a circle of white rose petals. After looking more closely she notices that each of the girls is wearing a pair of grey leggings with a dusty sage colored long-sleeve shirt and a grey bow in her hair. She looks down at Dominic and sees that his pajamas are solid grey, just like their leggings.

"Almost reminds me of..." She begins

"Our wedding?" Beck finishes for her

"Yeah." Jade smiles "The green and the grey."

"That was my intention." He admits, handing her a white rose "For you."

"Thank you, Mr. Oliver." She thanks him "But to what do I owe the occasion?"

"I promised you guys a story, didn't I girls?" Beck says to his daughters

"Yeah." Lennon sighs "He told us if we went along with his plan and helped him, we'd get to hear a 'really good story' when you woke up and came out here."

"Oh did he now?" Jade raises an eyebrow at her husband

"So, twenty years ago today..." Beck begins, looking from his wife to his daughters and then back to his wife "A really nervous kid worked up just the right amount of courage to ask a really pretty girl to go on a date with him. She said yes, but to this day he thinks it still might have only been out of pity."

"S'not true." Jade chuckles

"Shhh..." Beck smiles, pressing a finger to his lips "They went on their date, and a million more after that. Fifteen years ago from this Friday, that same nervous kid got down on one knee on a path beside the Hudson River and asked that same really pretty girl to marry him. She said yes again, but this time he knew it wasn't out of pity, that it was out of true love. He knew that they were soulmates and meant to be together for the rest of their lives. And so they got married, probably a little sooner than their parents would have liked...but they knew it was right. They got married, and before long they had a beautiful baby girl...and then another...and then two more...and now they have a son too. Twenty years they've been together, fifteen they've been married, and that really pretty girl still makes him feel like the same nervous kid every time she walks into a room. He loves her that much, and he can't imagine life without her."

"I love you too." Jade grins at him

"Wait, are the boy and the girl Mom and Dad?" Charlotte whispers to Lennon

"Yes." Lennon groans "Pay attention."

"Twenty years we've been together, and fifteen years we've been married." Beck repeats, reaching into his pocket and pulls out a small box "This isn't a replacement engagement ring or anything like that, but another one for you to wear to remind you that I've loved you for more than half of our lives and I'll keep loving you forever."

"It's beautiful." Jade tells him

She switches Dominic to her other arm and holds her left hand out for her husband to slide the ring on, this time on her middle finger instead of her ring one. It's a white gold band that twists in the middle, almost to look like an infinity sign. There's seven small diamonds on the thinner part of the band.

"One for each of us?" She clarifies

"One for each of us." He nods "And with this ring, there's also a question I'd like to ask you."

"Okay?"

"Will you marry me again?" He asks her

"What?" Jade laughs "Beck, we're already..."

"I mean, renew our vows." He clarifies "On our wedding anniversary in June. Let's renew our vows."

"Isn't that something only old people do?" She smirks at him "I'm not even thirty-four yet."

"Ah yes, I realize." Beck laughs "But we will have been married fifteen years, and I think fifteen seems like a good number."

"Alright." She grins "Then yes, I will absolutely marry you again."

"Thank god." Beck smiles as he leans forward to kiss her

"Ew!" Lennon, Charlotte, and the twins all whine

"Why do you always do that in front of us!" Lennon complains, closing her eyes and covering Hazel's with her hands "It's gross!"

"It's what you do when you're in love." Jade tells her "You'll understand one day."

* * *

Beck and Jade want to have their vow renewal ceremony on the same beach where they had gotten married, but the logistics don't work out. That beach is technically public property, and the city refuses to shut it down for the day so that they can hold the ceremony even though they offer to pay significantly more than they should. They're told that they can have the ceremony if they want, but that the city won't give them any special accommodations when it comes to keeping the general public away. It's not an issue they had the first time around, no one cared enough about the two random teenagers getting married on the beach to bother them. But Beck and Jade Oliver renewing their vows would most definitely draw interest. So they decide on a private beach instead, about fifteen miles north of where they had gotten married originally. They hire security to keep anyone out who isn't invited, not wanting anyone or anything to spoil the day.

They invite only their closest friends and family. Instead of a wedding party this time, they have their children stand up next to them. The girls wear matching floral dresses, while Dominic, now seven months old, wears khaki pants and a white dress shirt, just like his father does. Jade wears a simple white sundress, and they're all barefoot. It looks like something straight out of a bridal magazine. Twenty years ago Beck and Jade might have found it cheesy, but now to them it's perfect.

"So, the cool thing about this is..." Andre says with a grin as he stands between Beck and Jade "since it's a renewal and there's not really a legal process involved, any random guy can perform the ceremony. And I think it's really cool that two of my best friends chose me to be that random guy."

Andre made quite the name for himself in the music industry as a producer. His work takes him all over the country, and at times all over the world, so he doesn't see Beck and Jade as often as he did when they were still going to school together. They've still remained close friends though, and when they get together it feels as if no time as passed at all. Both Beck and Jade were part of the wedding party when he and Tori got married, and Beck is even godfather to their son, Isaiah, who is two and a half now. Andre had been the one to introduce them that day that they first met, so they only found it fitting that he be the one to lead their vow renewal ceremony.

"Many people believe that entering into marriage is the final step in a romantic relationship." Andre begins "A couple meet, get to know one another and fall in love, decide they want to spend their lives together, and then take the final step...marriage. But marriage is hardly the final step in a couple's relationship, rather it is the beginning of a great adventure, and I can say that from experience. You two have shared the joys, blessings and challenges of married life for fifteen years. Today you want to reconfirm your commitment to working together and ensuring your marriage blossoms for years to come. May this renewing of the vows you took to become husband and wife remind you that despite the stresses inevitable in every life, your love, respect, trust and understanding of each other will continue to increase your contentment and heighten your joy in living. Go ahead and join hands."

Beck and Jade share a smile as they reach forward and take each other's hands.

"Jade, it was fifteen years ago that we first pledged our commitment to one another, but it seems like just yesterday that I was standing across from my beautiful bride...the most beautiful bride ever in the history of brides." Beck tells her "We have been through a lot together...laughter and tears, joy and sorrow...and through all those times, I can honestly say, I loved you every step of the way. Today, I want to renew those vows and again pledge my love and life to you. I promise to be there for you in sickness and health, in middle and old age, in good and bad days. I will always think that you are perfect...perfect for me. I am here to be your supporter, your confidant, and your best friend. You are my my other half, the only thing in this universe that can make me feel whole. I have been blessed for the last fifteen years and am thrilled that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you. Always and forever."

"And once again, you make it almost impossible for me to follow you with anything even close to being as good as that." Jade smiles "Beck, you and I were kids when we got married. Lots of people told us that, but we chose not to listen to them...and I'm so happy that we didn't. You have changed since then. I have changed, and the world around us has changed most of all. But one thing has not changed. Fifteen years ago, I promised to show you, for the rest of my life, how much I love you. I promised to encourage you to follow your dreams. I promised to hold your hand through the good times and through the bad times. I promised to be loyal and faithful to you always...I have always loved you. I still love you. I love you more now than I did then because I know you better now. And I've matured, my sharp edges have mellowed, increasing my capacity for, and my pleasure in love. We've brought five babies into this world and are watching them grow into better versions of ourselves. We've grown together, we've had successes and setbacks, we've weathered many storms. Some of the things we worried about turned out not to matter at all. What really mattered most was our love. The one constant in our lives has grown stronger and I thank you now for the joy you've given me during these fifteen years together. I still promise to love you, honor you, cherish and keep you. I continue to want you, for better or worse, for richer or poorer. Whatever the future may hold for us, we will always have our love. It is enough."

"On your wedding day you exchanged rings as a symbol of the never-ending circle of love." Andre reminds them "Rings serve as a reminder of your vows to each other, and your commitment to live in unity, love and happiness. At this time, reconfirm the meaning of the rings you wear. Repeat after me...I wear this ring you placed on my hand as a symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"I wear this ring you placed on my hand as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." Jade repeats

"I wear this ring you placed on my hand as a symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"I wear this ring you placed on my hand as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." Beck repeats, looking at Jade with a smile

"I ask that you each continue to cherish each other as special and unique individuals and that you respect the thoughts and ideas of one another." Andre says "And most of all, be able to forgive each other, and not hold grudges. Live each day in love with each other, always being there to give love, comfort, and refuge, in good times and bad. Beck and Jade, today you have renewed the vows you made to each other on your wedding day. You have symbolized the renewal of your union by the joining of hands, the taking of vows, and by the wearing of your rings. It is with pleasure that I conclude the ceremony of renewing the vows of marriage that joined you and binds you as husband and wife. Beck, man...you know what to do."

Beck grins proudly as he reaches forward and takes Jade in his arms, dipping her as he presses a kiss to her lips. They only break away when they both start laughing, amused by the chorus of 'ew's from their daughters behind them. They've accepted the fact that no matter how much they try to normalize it, their kids will never be okay with them kissing in front of them. At least not until they're much older. Beck helps Jade stand upright again and she takes Dominic out of Lennon's arms, positioning him on her hip and then grabbing Beck's hand so they can walk back up the aisle again.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Jade says to him when they've reached the back of the path

"You don't have to." Beck assures her "I already know."

"I love you, Beck Oliver." She tells him "Always and forever."

"Always and forever." He agrees with a smile, leaning down to kiss her again

* * *

_**Unfortunately, the next chapter is the last :(**_

_**Which is such a total bummer because I think I've enjoyed writing this story the most out of anything I've published on here yet. Thank you all so much for your continued support! Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter. It's a bit of an epilogue and is going to check in on Beck and Jade when they're forty-two.**_


	30. Fame

"These things are pretty tricky sometimes." Beck admits to Dominic as he secures the tie around his neck "Your mom had to do mine for...well honestly I think until I was like thirty."

"Maybe I should have asked her to help me then." The eight year-old laughs "It might've gone faster."

"Nah, she needs to get ready herself too." Beck reminds him "Besides, I got the job done. Didn't I?"

He places his hands on his son's shoulders and spins him around so they can both face the mirror together. They're both wearing dark grey suits, with white dress shirts and light grey vests and ties. Beck has opted for brown dress shoes, whereas his son has opted for a pair of white Chuck Taylor's instead. The boy looks just like Beck, if Beck had Jade's hair. It's as thick and flowy as his father's when it's long, he prefers to keep it cut neatly though, and light brown like his mother's.

"You look good, son." Beck grins

"Thanks, Dad." Dominic says "So do you."

"You'll keep your sisters in check for us today, won't you?"

"Of course."

The two of them leave Dominic's bathroom together and make their way down the hall towards the staircase.

"Hey!" Hazel exclaims, chasing Sutton out of her bedroom and across the hall "That's mine!"

"But it matches _my_ dress!" Sutton fires back

"Woah!" Beck chuckles, stepping into Sutton's room "What's going on?"

"Sutton is trying to steal my purse!" Hazel tells him

The twins are eleven now, and keep Beck and Jade on their toes. Their personalities are so similar that they often clash, and it can lead to arguments as pointless as this one.

"Sutton, give it back." Beck sighs

"But I need it!"

"No you don't." He tells her "Neither of you need a purse today."

"Lennon gets to bring a purse!"

"She's older." Beck reminds his daughters "She has things she actually needs to carry. You two do not. Sutton, give Hazel the purse back and I want you both downstairs and ready to go in five minutes."

"Whatever." Sutton scoffs, shoving the purse towards her sister "Here."

"Thanks, Dad." Hazel says to him as she goes back to her own bedroom

"Mhm." Beck nods, positioning himself between the two doorways "I don't want anymore arguing out of you two today. It's a big day and the last thing it needs is you two bickering about something pointless. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, Dad."

"Charlotte?" Beck calls out to his daughter

"Ready!" The fourteen year-old ensures him as she rushes out of her older sister's bedroom "I'll make sure Hazel and Sutton make it down in time."

"Thank you." Beck chuckles, peeking into the doorway from which Charlotte emerged "You ready Len?"

"Yup." Lennon smiles, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her "How do I look?"

Now at sixteen, Lennon still shares the same love of performing as her parents. Beck and Jade still won't allow her to do any on-screen work, but she's quite content attending Hollywood Arts, just as they had, for the time being to further her study of the arts and the industry. Much like her mother, she's a triple threat and can dance, sing, and act. But much like her father, acting is all she's really interested in.

She's wearing a maroon sundress that comes down just below her knees and a pair of black ballet flats. Her hair brown hair is curled and frames her face. Beck almost has to do a double take as he looks at her.

"Almost exactly like your mom did when she was your age." He smiles "In fact, I bet if we compared pictures of the two of you, we wouldn't be able to tell which one is which."

"Mom used to have an eyebrow piercing, didn't she?" Lennon chuckles

"That's true, she did." Beck nods with a smile "So I guess there's that."

"We're meeting downstairs?" Lennon clarifies

"Yup." Beck confirms, following her towards the staircase "We're leaving in five minutes everybody!"

Dominic is already waiting in the foyer when Lennon and Beck come downstairs, and Charlotte ushers the twins down shortly after them.

"Where's Mom?" Dominic asks

"She's coming." Lennon assures him

"I'm coming." Jade confirms, appearing on the staircase "Everyone ready?"

Her hair is pulled into an updo on the top of her head and she wears a royal blue dress. Beck has seen his wife glammed up for thousands of occasions at this point: movie premieres, weddings, awards ceremonies. But he thinks this might be the most beautiful he's ever seen her look.

"Careful, Oliver." She smirks as she reaches the bottom of the stairs "You're drooling."

"I can't help myself." Beck admits "You look..."

"Old?" Jade laughs

"Gorgeous." He assures her "I mean, absolutely..."

"Cover your eyes, littles." Lennon tells her siblings "This is the part where they make out."

Hazel, Sutton, and Dominic all groan and roll their eyes while Lennon and Charlotte laugh as their parents share a quick kiss, and then another, before they all decide they're ready to leave.

"Hey, guys." Lennon grabs her younger siblings attention as Beck and Jade exit the house to go out to the awaiting limo "We have to be good today, like seriously. It's a big day for Mom and Dad and they're never going to have an opportunity like this again."

"We know, Len." Charlotte rolls her eyes

"I know _you_ know." Lennon sighs "I was talking more to the other three."

"I'm always good!" Dominic insists

"Only when the twins aren't egging you on." Lennon reminds him turning to Hazel and Sutton "So don't egg him on. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Alright."

"Good." Lennon says as she smooths out her dress "Now let's all go get in the car before we make them late."

* * *

"Can everyone hear me?" Cat Valentine giggles into the microphone as her voice is projected up and down Hollywood Boulevard "Testing, testing."

It's a very special occasion for a celebrity to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It's even more special when there's a joint ceremony and two celebrities receive them at the same time. Today, however, is the most special occasion of all, because both Beck and Jade Oliver are receiving their stars together. They're located right next to each other on the walk, and it seems like all of Los Angeles has turned out to catch a glimpse of Hollywood's First Family.

Cat had been chosen to give the speech introducing them and presenting them with the stars, and Beck and Jade couldn't have thought of someone in the industry more fitting to do so. Robbie, Elijah, and Amelia are there as well, sitting in the sectioned off rows of chairs along with Lennon, Charlotte, Hazel, Sutton, and Dominic, as well as Beck's parents and both sets of Jade's. Tori and Andre are in the audience with their two sons as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out here today." Cat addresses the crowd of press and of officials who have gathered for the ceremony "I know it's hot, and I know it's not the calmest place in Los Angeles to be right now. But it is an honor and a privilege to be here with you all, as we recognize two of my very best friends and all of their accomplishments and achievements. I first met Jade Oliver when she was still Jade West, long before anyone in the industry ever knew her name. We were eight years old, and our mothers signed us up for the same community theater production. It was Mary Poppins, if I'm remembering correctly, and we both played chimney sweeps. From there, the most unlikely of friendships blossomed and we became inseparable. We got to go to the same junior high, and over the years grew as close as two best friends could possibly be. Then enter Mr. Beck Oliver, who crashed into our lives in the middle of eighth grade and changed everything. He was the new kid, and we was from Canada, so that made him interesting I suppose. Our friend Andre Harris, yes _that_ Andre Harris...who is here today with his wife Tori and their two sons Isaiah and Sebastian, invited him to sit with us at lunch on his first day of school, and I am proud to say I got to witness the moment that I saw my best friend's world change forever. Beck and Jade had a very brief first encounter. I believe it was a a few 'nice to meet you's that were exchanged, but from the point of that meeting on their lives were never going to be the same. If only any of us had any idea back then. I have seen them go from friends, to partners, to spouses, to parents...from naive teenagers who _thought_ they maybe might want to try their hands at acting, to drama students, to supporting characters, to household names, to _Academy Award_ winners. These two people standing next to me have so much to be proud of, both personally and professionally. Their projects have made us laugh, made us cry, made us feel something. They've made us want to be them, want to be _with_ them, and at times even envy them. Their relationship and their love know no limits, and they're some of the best parents out there. That's evident when you interact with any of their five little angels, who are sitting behind us here. There are no two people more deserving of the recognition that they are being given today, and I can confidently say that there will never be another two people like them to ever grace this industry. Individually, they are each one of a kind, and together, they're truly something remarkable. So everyone please join me in congratulating, in my opinion the best actor and actress the industry will ever see, Beck Oliver and Jade Oliver."

The crowd erupts into applause as Cat steps aside and allows Beck to take the microphone. He grins and waves a bit as he stands in front of the crowd, and then begins his own speech.

"Thank you, all of you, so much for this recognition." He begins, gesturing to the star in front of him "I, uh, well...I'm forty-two now. And I realize that in the grand scheme of things, I'm really not that old. But I got my first real 'job' in the industry when I was twenty-one, so I feel that working in Hollywood for half of my life gives me at least a little bit of room to talk. Nothing in life worth having comes without hard work. I struggled to find work when I was just starting out. I was a Juilliard drop-out, who for some reason thought that the best way to break into the industry would be to leave one of the best performing arts schools in the country and try to do it for myself. Looking back I don't know if I should have made a different choice or not, but I know that if I still had my wife's support I would still do it all over again. There were times when I thought that maybe it just wasn't going to happen, maybe, as much as I wanted it, I wasn't cut out to be an actor after all. But hard work paid off. I booked a role on SVU, and from there more hard work helped launch me into the industry. So when people come to me, in interviews or whatever circumstance, and ask me what the secret to success is, I'll always say hard work. Hard work is rewarding, hard work pays off. With that being said, I'm convinced my career wasn't built entirely with just hard work. It was also built with support, from my family and my friends, but most importantly from my wife. For those of you who haven't figured it out by now, Jade and I have been together for a very long time. We started dating, if you could call it dating at that age, when we were thirteen turning fourteen in eighth grade. In June, we will have been married for twenty-four years. If you had told me in eighth grade that I would be married to someone for twenty-four years, I wouldn't have been able to fathom it because it would have seemed like such a long time. But standing here now in front of all of you, a forty-two year old man who has been married for close to twenty-four years and has five children to show for it, I can tell you that twenty-four years is barely any time at all. I wake up every day grateful for this wonderful woman in my life, and somehow manage to love her even more than before. It is because of her support that I had the courage to put in all of that hard work and get myself where I am today. Without her, I would be lost and clueless and nowhere near close to the man that I am today. Thank you for supporting me endlessly and staying by my side, even when you shouldn't have, Jade. I love you now, forever, and always."

Jade walks over and hugs Beck, kissing him on the cheek and then on the lips before moving to the podium to take her turn to speak.

"For some reason whenever my husband and I do joint speaking engagements, I always let him go first. And I always regret it because he's so much better with this whole public speaking thing than I am so I never feel like anything I have to say if ever half as good. Our wedding, vow renewals, speeches at the weddings of friends...always. But today, I'm going to try my best." Jade admits with a chuckle "My husband spoke about the importance of hard work and strong support systems when it comes to having success in this industry. He's right, those two things are important. But there's a third component that is equally as important as well, and that's luck. You can work your ass...er, sorry kids. You can work your _butt_ off for years and years and years, and have the strongest support system in the world, but if you walk into the room to read for a part when the casting director is having a bad day, well then...there's a chance you still might be screwed over. You need luck in this industry, and you need luck in life as well. I am blessed in the fact that I consider myself to have been a very lucky individual over the course of my life so far. I got into one of the best collegiate drama programs that I could, I caught the casting director of my first movie on a good day...I have five beautiful kids who were all born happy and healthy...and on more than one occasion award committees have voted in my favor. My stroke of luck started long before any of that though...my luck started when my father-in-law's company decided to transfer him from their Vancouver offices to their headquarters right here in Los Angeles. Whoever made that decision changed my life, because that decision brought my husband into my life. I didn't know it at the time, but that boy that Andre Harris brought to the lunch table that day who knows how many years ago was my whole future standing right in front of me. Without Beck, none of those things I listed previously would be possible. Him and I make each other better versions of ourselves, and it's because of that fact that we have been so fortunate in our careers so far. Without him, I also would not have my Lennon, my Charlotte, my Hazel, my Sutton, or my Dominic, which I truly consider to be our very best achievements in this life. There is no award that we could win or any honor that could be bestowed upon us that would even begin to compare to them. But anyways, luck. It's a special thing. It can come and go at times, but I've been very fortunate to have received a great deal of it. Thank you to those who decided to honor my husband and I today, and thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us. It means the world, and it will not be forgotten."

Beck and Jade each take pictures next to their stars individually and together, and then their children join them as well. There's a whole photoshoot with every combination of people standing next to both stars, it's quite the process. It's a very special day for Beck and Jade, not only getting to celebrate their achievements together, but with their children as well. There will be many more special days ahead of them. There will be many more awards, they'll both break into writing and directing eventually, they'll both return to their New York theater roots at one point, and Jade will even have a writing credit on one of Cat's grammy-winning songs...and she'll finally get her EGOT just as Beck always predicted she would. That's all in the future though, and right now...they're just happy to be in the present.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it..." Beck admits as he and Jade sway around on the dance floor later that night

There's a party, of course, at a restaurant downtown Los Angeles. They rented it out for the evening so that they could celebrate their accomplishment with their friends and families. Even their children are there, although soon a nanny will be coming to take them home.

"Get used to what?" Jade asks him, taking her head off of his shoulder to look at him

"All of it." He shrugs "The life we're living. We're just...we're so fortunate."

"We sure are." Jade agrees "That's what a whole lot of hard work, support, and luck can do for two people though, I suppose."

"Yeah, I suppose." He laughs "Uh oh...look at this."

He spins her around so that she can see that their son, Dominic, is across the dance floor with Cat and Robbie's daughter, Amelia. They're dancing together in the sweet and innocent way that young children do, mimicking what they see from their parents. Their hands are on each other's shoulders and nothing is even close to happening, they're only eight after all, but it still amuses Beck and Jade.

"Robbie is going to kill you." Jade laughs

"Only if he sees them." Beck shrugs "But don't pretend like you and Cat wouldn't absolutely _die_ if those two ever happened."

"Don't talk about my baby boy like that yet." Jade begs him "I have a hard enough time with the sixteen year old even saying that boys are cute."

"They're growing up, Jade..."

"Oh shut up." She laughs, leaning her head against him again "I never properly congratulated you on your star, by the way. So...congratulations."

"Thanks." Beck smirks "Congratulations to you as well."

"Thank you, Mr. Oliver."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Oliver." He smirks "I still love getting to call you that."

"Even after all this time?"

"Even after, yeah."

"Aww..." Jade grins before she kisses him "I love you."

"I love you too." He tells her "Always and forever."

* * *

_**The End :)**_

_**I hope that you've all enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Like I said, I think this is my favorite that I've written so far. I've got some other ideas bouncing around in my head, but I'm in school right now so I probably won't publish anything for a few months. Keep an eye out though! Thank you so much for all of the support!**_


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